LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved in a 4-to-1 vote to pass Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell and Board Chair and Supervisor Hilda L. Solis’s motion to place a temporary ½ percent sales tax measure (set to end on October 1, 2031) on the June 2nd primary ballot. The revenue generated from the Essential Services Restoration Act will help create urgently needed funding to help address an anticipated $2.4 billion in federal funding cuts to the Los Angeles County healthcare system resulting from the Trump administration’s passage of H.R.1.

“I’m proud to join Chair Solis in standing alongside a coalition of city leaders, healthcare providers, patient advocates, union members, and working families from across our county – united in the fight to protect access to the lifesaving healthcare and essential services that every resident needs and deserves, said Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, representing the Second District. “We have a responsibility to deliver care and services throughout LA County, even when the federal government cuts funding. This is about giving voters the choice on a temporary ½ cent sales tax – medicine, groceries and items purchased with WIC and SNAP are exempt – to prevent further straining working families or our safety net services. We are talking about 50 cents for every $100 dollars to help ensure critical services and healthcare is available when we need it the most.”

“The Trump administration has eliminated more than $1 trillion in Medicaid funding through H.R. 1 to expand inhumane immigration enforcement and deliver tax breaks to the wealthiest,” said Los Angeles County Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. “In Los Angeles County, these cuts are projected to strip Medi-Cal coverage from 1.5 million low-income residents by next year and reduce funding for the safety-net hospitals and community clinics our communities rely on. This is not a crisis that will only affect Medi-Cal patients. When clinics close and emergency departments scale back, patients do not vanish, they are pushed into fewer urgent care centers and hospitals, driving longer wait times, rising costs, and worse health outcomes across the region, including for families with private insurance. That is why this temporary, five-year tax measure is a real and necessary solution to stabilize our health system and protect access to critical health services, and why Los Angeles County remains firmly committed to meeting the needs of children, older adults, individuals with disabilities, working families, and immigrants.”

The federal funding cuts to Medicaid included in H.R.1 are the largest reductions in the program’s history, threatening healthcare access for millions of residents who rely on it. In Los Angeles County alone, one-in-three residents depend on Medi-Cal (California’s version of Medicaid). To help prevent worsening the affordability crisis, the proposed measure—if approved by voters—would exempt most essential items such as groceries, medicine, and purchases made with SNAP and WIC and would generate critical revenue needed to preserve access to essential services, including healthcare.

Los Angeles County Departments are the only providers of public healthcare for 86 out 88 cities in LA County – only the cities of Pasadena and Long Beach have their own health departments, and both those cities continue to rely on Los Angeles County’s healthcare infrastructure and departments to help serve residents. As the only public health shield for nearly the entire county and its 10 million residents, the federal funding cuts severely weaken the critical services needed to keep communities healthy and safe.

The ballot measure is a last resort effort after Los Angeles County has already implemented hiring freezes, limited overtime, consolidated services, and tapped emergency reserves – which are not enough to recoup funding taken away by the federal government to help keep healthcare centers and vital services available. To ensure accountability in funding being used for its intended purpose, the measure will require independent audits, public reporting, and a civilian oversight committee.

The measure is backed by a growing coalition that includes residents, city leaders and a group called Restore Healthcare for Angelenos that consists of St. John’s Community Health, SEIU Local 721, SEIU Local 2015, the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County, Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project LA County, Health Justice Action Fund, InnerCity Struggle, and numerous community leaders.

Jim Mangia, Restore Healthcare for Angelenos spokesperson and St. John’s Community Health President and CEO shared, “We are so grateful to the Board of Supervisors for giving voters the power to enact these critical protections for essential services and healthcare in LA County,” said “Now, we focus our efforts on turning out our voters so we can restore the healthcare services our communities depend on.”

Louise McCarthy, MPP, President & CEO, Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC) which consists of over 600 community health clinics stated, “Health centers are a vital part of the county’s safety net. They provide medical, dental, and behavioral health services to over 2 million residents — that’s 1 in 5 Angelenos and 1 in 3 Medi-Cal enrollees. They serve low-income families, seniors, and people experiencing homelessness. This is a crisis. Federal cuts and new MediCal policies will reduce coverage and cut funding. Medi-Cal accounts for over half of clinic funding, so these changes will lead to clinic closures, longer wait times, overcrowded ERs, and higher costs for the county.”

Cástulo de la Rocha, President & CEO, AltaMed, the nation’s largest independent Federally Qualified Health Center added, “For nearly 60 years, AltaMed Health Services has been a trusted provider for anyone who walks through our doors. Today, that promise is at risk. Families will lose coverage and the safety net our communities depend on will not survive. This moment calls for courageous leadership. This measure is about protecting access to care, safeguarding jobs, and ensuring every Angeleno — regardless of income or background — can continue to rely on a strong healthcare system. We cannot let this safety net fail.”

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