As mentioned at the City Council Meeting on Tuesday, a private coalition has developed a proposed measure that would extend the deadline of the County’s 1⁄4 cent homelessness sales tax measure, Measure H (set to expire in 2027). I haven’t seen anything on a new sunset date or if this would become a permanent tax. The proposed measure would also double the tax to 1⁄2 cent, which would apply to all cities, even those that have already reached the local sales tax limit. So our sales tax would go from 10.25% to 10.5%. With the new measure, 60% of the funds would go to homeless services, and 40% would be for affordable housing projects. While funding in both these areas is needed, in its present format, I couldn’t recommend the proposed measure, simply because of the doubling of the tax, bypassing the sales tax limits, and the small amounts set aside for local communities. On the financial front, of the $1.25 billion estimated to be generated each year, the entire San Gabriel Valley would get around $17 million (1.4%). The measure has not been formally submitted to the County yet, so details can still change and it’s unsure whether it will get the signatures needed to even appear on the ballot, let alone get passed by voters. The attached presentation was given by supporters of the measure at a recent SGVCOG meeting. Perhaps this is the most telling slide from the presentation:
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