LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Voters across Los Angeles County will head to the polls on March 7 to weigh in on a proposed sales tax aimed at combating homelessness, while residents in more than two dozen cities will choose council members and mayors and decide on a handful of localized measures.
In addition to the countywide homelessness issue, local elections are scheduled in the City of San Fernando as well as in Azusa, Bell, Bellflower, Beverly Hills, Claremont, Covina, Cudahy, Gardena, Glendora, Huntington Park, La Canada Flintridge, La Mirada, La Verne, Lakewood, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Monterey Park, Norwalk, Palos Verdes Estates, Paramount, Pasadena, Redondo Beach, San Dimas, San Gabriel, South Gate and West Hollywood.
School board elections are also scheduled in the Los Angeles, Pasadena and Redondo Beach unified school districts, along with the Los Angeles Community College District.
Here is a brief roundup of measures on the ballot in the City of San Fernando and in Los Angeles:
San Fernando
• Measure SF asks voters if the position of city treasurer should be an appointed post instead of elected. It also requires a simple majority for approval.
Los Angeles County
• Measure H, which needs approval from two-thirds of voters, would raise the county sales tax by a quarter-cent for 10 years, with the proceeds going toward homeless services including affordable housing, mental health treatment, health care, education, job training and transportation.
City of Los Angeles
• Proposition M would establish taxes on marijuana businesses, while authorizing criminal penalties for non-approved marijuana businesses and outlining the LA council’s authority to regulate cannabis-related activities.
• Initiative Ordinance N would authorize a permitting system for marijuana businesses, giving existing marijuana businesses time to register for permits, allowing marijuana businesses in select non-residential areas and setting distance requirements from schools. It also authorizes fines for unauthorized marijuana activities and sets a tax on “adult use marijuana sales.”
Measures M and N both require only a simple majority for approval, but if both are approved, the one receiving the most votes will be enacted.
• Charter Amendment P would increase the maximum term of franchises, licenses and permits issued by the Harbor Department from 50 years to 66 years, making the city consistent with state law. It requires a simple majority vote for approval.
• Measure S would impose a two-year moratorium on development projects that require amendments to the city’s General Plan, require a public review of the city’s General Plan every five years and prohibit project applicants from performing environmental impact reports for their own projects. It requires a simple majority for approval.