At a Glance
- United Firefighters of Los Angeles City launched a petition drive to place a half-cent sales tax increase on the November ballot
- The tax would raise $345 million in its first year for hiring, equipment, and infrastructure
- LAFD operates with the same staffing levels as the 1960s despite a population of 3.8 million and five times the call volume
- Why it matters: Response times have doubled to nearly eight minutes, and the department has 42 fewer firefighters than during the 2025 Palisades Fire
Los Angeles firefighters and city officials kicked off a signature-gathering campaign Thursday to ask voters for a half-cent sales tax increase they say is critical to modernizing the city’s fire department.
The United Firefighters of Los Angeles City (UFLAC) held a news conference in front of Fire Station 58, calling on registered voters to sign petitions that would place the funding measure on the November ballot.
The Numbers Behind the Crisis
The union needs 154,000 valid signatures to qualify the measure. If approved by voters, the sales tax would jump from 9.75% to 10.25%, generating at least $345 million annually.
The funding gap has reached critical levels. Despite serving a city of 3.8 million people, the LAFD maintains the same number of firefighters it had in the 1960s. The department now handles five times more emergency calls while operating six fewer fire stations than six decades ago.
“We have five times the call load, six fewer fire stations than in the 1960s,” said Doug Coate, LAFD firefighter and engineer. “We need more firefighters, we need more fire stations, we need more tools and equipment, and we need engines, trucks, and ambulances.”
Response Times Double as Staff Shrinks
The staffing shortage has directly impacted emergency response. What should be a four-and-a-half-minute response time has stretched to nearly eight minutes.
“When you call 911, we should be coming to you in four and a half minutes. We’re taking almost eight minutes to get to you because we do not have enough resources,” said Rich Ramirez, UFLAC official. “It’s not sustainable. It’s not safe for the public, not for the firefighters and the citizens from Los Angeles.”
The department’s ranks have thinned since the Palisades Fire devastated Westside neighborhoods. One year after that disaster, the LAFD employs 42 fewer firefighters than it did when the wildfire broke out in 2025.
Political Support and Opposition
Councilmember Traci Park, whose district includes the Palisades Fire zones, urged residents to back the measure.
“I, for one, cannot let what happened to my Pacific Palisades constituents happen to any other community,” Park said. “Sign the petition, get your family, your friends, and your neighbors to sign it. And then when we get it on the ballot in November, show up and vote for it.”
Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement supporting the initiative “to hire more firefighters, replace aging vehicles and outdated equipment.”
“The City has faced extremely difficult budget cycles. New revenue sources are needed, and this ballot initiative will help ensure that we can build out the Los Angeles Fire Department to fully serve all Angelenos now and into the future,” Bass said.
Taxpayer Group Raises Concerns
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association criticized the proposal, pointing to existing taxpayer protections in California’s constitution. Proposition 13 (1978) and Proposition 218 (1996) require two-thirds voter approval for special-purpose local taxes.
The association noted that since 2017, state courts have created a loophole allowing “citizen initiative tax increases” to bypass these requirements.
“Voters should ask, ‘What is in the city budget that is a higher priority than adequately funding the fire department?’ It is totally unacceptable that the City Council and mayor have underfunded the fire department and essentially told the firefighters’ union to go out and get their own tax increase,” the association stated. “Sales taxes are already very high in Los Angeles, and they hit hardest on people who can least afford to pay more.”
Oversight and Accountability
The proposal includes built-in accountability measures. Annual audits would be presented to the public, and a citizens oversight committee would track all tax spending.
This approach follows a precedent set by LA County voters, who approved a special parcel tax for fire services in 1997 and increased it in 2024, raising over $150 million annually for fire and emergency services.
Key Takeaways
- The LAFD faces a critical staffing shortage while handling record emergency call volumes
- A half-cent sales tax increase could generate $345 million yearly for department improvements
- The measure requires 154,000 signatures to reach the November ballot
- Response times have nearly doubled due to insufficient resources
- The proposal includes public oversight through annual audits and a citizens committee
