Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
LA County voters to decide on new stormwater tax in November
Listen
• 1:00
Screens above catch basins near the Tujunga Wash prevent trash from entering drains.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
Eligible Los Angeles County voters will get to decide on a new land tax to fund projects that catch, clean and percolate stormwater underground where it can increase the region’s future water supply.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to place the measure on the Nov. 6 ballot. If two-thirds of voters in the Los Angeles County Flood Control District agree, property owners would be charged a new tax of 2.5 cents for every square foot of land shedding water. That includes roofs, patios, driveways and other hard surfaces.
The tax would add about $83 to the annual property tax bill for owners of a typical parcel of about 6,000 square feet. The actual tax would be calculated for every single parcel based on an aerial survey using equipment known as Lidar, which estimates the square footage of roofs, driveways, patios and other paved surfaces that create water runoff.
Businesses would pay the same 2.5 cents per square foot rate as residential parcels. About two-thirds of the land mass in Los Angeles County holds homes. All property owners, both residential and commercial/industrial, can reduce their tax by installing measures to catch storm runoff.
Support for LAist comes from
County officials said the tax, which would raise nearly $300 million a year, is needed to comply with state water quality laws requiring cities and counties to capture, treat and reuse stormwater runoff.
Los Angeles County already captures about one-fifth of the rain that falls in the Los Angeles Basin watershed. Spending the estimated tax revenue, the county could build projects capable of doubling that amount of water. Cleaning stormwater and injecting it underground could reduce the need to import water from the Eastern Sierra in Northern California and the Colorado River.
BizFed, the Los Angeles Business Federation that represents thousands of businesses, opposes the tax. The group wants to lower or end the tax after 30 years.
This story is part of Elemental: Covering Sustainability, a new multimedia collaboration between Cronkite News, Arizona PBS, KJZZ, KPCC, Rocky Mountain PBS and PBS SoCal.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist