Measure LA would allow the L.A. Community College District to issue a $5.3 Billion bond, financed by a new property tax, to improve infrastructure and job training facilities across LACCD’s nine colleges.

Measure LA needs a 55% approval rate from voters to pass this November.

Official title on the ballot: Los Angeles Community College District Safety, Repair, Job Training Measure

You’ll see Measure LA on your ballot if you live in one of these cities (or ZIP codes) outlined on this map.

What the measure would do

A bond is a common way to raise money for big expenditures in local infrastructure. LACCD previously took out construction bonds in 2001, 2003, 2008, and 2016.

Some context on LACCD: With nine colleges and about 229,000 students, it’s the largest community college district in the country. It’s a blue-collar educational engine for the region. More than half of LACCD students earn an income at or below the poverty line. More than three-fourths of its students are people of color. More than two-thirds of LACCD students are enrolled part time; many of them juggle work and home responsibilities.

To finance the bond, homeowners would be taxed up to $25 per $100,000 of their assessed property valuation. For most homeowners, that tax is estimated to range between $88-$157, generating $345,000,000 each year until the bond is fulfilled. After that, the tax would expire.

The bond will allow LACCD to address “urgent and basic repairs such as removing asbestos and lead paint, upgrading gas and sewer lines, fixing leaky roofs, and improving earthquake safety to make our local colleges clean and safe for learning,” according to the ballot measure.

The measure states that the funds cannot be put towards LACCD employee salaries or pensions. There will be yearly audits of spending on the proposed projects and an independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee.

A survey conducted among L.A. County voters this summer found that 6 in 10 voters were in favor of the measure.

Arguments For

Those in support of the bond argue the funds will:

• Improve safety conditions for LACCD students and staff (referencing outdated buildings with asbestos and lead paint, unsafe drinking water, and a need for greater earthquake safety);
• Increase environmental sustainability among LACCD’s facilities;
• Generate affordable housing for LACCD students and;
• Create more jobs

Read more arguments in favor of Measure LA on yesonla.com.

Arguments Against

Those against the measure cite poor management of the $3.3 billion dollar bond issued by LACCD in 2016. At the time, the L.A. Times reported lawsuits, political infighting, and missed performance targets.

Expressing concern over past mismanagement and whether or not funds in such an amount are needed right now, opposers have deemed it inappropriate to impose more taxes on Angelenos, especially with the increased cost of living.

They also reference significant decreases in enrollment in LACCD’s campuses in recent years, and the fact that many LACCD students have continued to take advantage of online learning, even after the pandemic.

Read more arguments against Measure LA on Voter's Edge.

Further Reading

• Read more about L.A. Community College District Measure LA on Voter’s Edge