Trump’s Trauma Tax

LA WATCHDOG - To partially compensate for the cuts in funding for the County’s Department of Public Health by the Federal government, the Los Angeles County Supervisors voted to increase the Measure B Trauma parcel tax by 26% to 6.3 cents per square foot of improved property from 5 cents.  This will provide the County with an additional $86.6 million. 

Overall, this tax will raise over $400 million, with a significant portion going to the four county run hospitals (LA General, Harbor-UCLA, Olive View-UCLA, and MLK) and a lesser amount to non-County hospitals. 

Measure B was designed to “provide revenue to support the countywide system of trauma centers, emergency medical services and bioterrorism response activities.” This measure was approved by over 70% of the voters in November of 2002.   

The initial rate was 3 cents per square foot. There were subsequent increases in 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2022, and now 2025.  According to the County, the cumulative increase of 110% since 2002 is consistent with the escalation in the medical component of the Western Urban Consumer Price Index as allowed in the ballot language. 

For a 2,000 square foot home, the tax will increase from $100 to $126 a year, or 26% per year. It also applies to rental properties which will eventually be passed through to renters. 

This tax will appear on our Annual Secured Property Tax Bill under the Direct Assessments which is in addition to General Tax Levy on our real estate as determined by Proposition 13.  Other items in this category include taxes for Clean Water, Flood Control, Stormwater, Parks, and Mosquitoes.  

There is also a category on our tax bill for Voted Indebtedness, primarily for LAUSD and the Community College District, which is four times greater than Direct Assessments.  

The increase in this tax is consistent with the ballot measure.  But the deliberations of the Supervisors were not transparent as we learned about this additional levy that was effective as of July 1 through a July 27 Los Angeles Times article, Federal Cuts Leave Los Angeles County Health System in Crisis. 

More than likely, we will be asked to approve additional taxes to fund the Department of Public Health.  If the County wants us to approve any new tax, transparency, a foreign concept to the County, it will need to include a detailed analysis of the Department and its operations as well as a series of community meetings.   

(Jack Humphreville writes the LA Watchdog column for CityWatch, where he covers city finances, utilities, and accountability at City Hall. He is President of the DWP Advocacy Committee, serves as the Budget and DWP representative for the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, and is a longtime Neighborhood Council Budget Advocate. With a sharp focus on fiscal responsibility and transparency, Jack brings an informed and independent voice to Los Angeles civic affairs. He can be reached at [email protected].)