Politics
Long Beach's $48 Parcel Tax Needs 55% Approval, Unlike LA County's Two-Thirds Rule
Long Beach voters face a proposed $48 annual parcel tax for street repairs that requires 55 percent approval, a threshold that differs from the two-thirds requirement still in place for similar measures in Los Angeles County jurisdictions.
How we reported this
The Long Beach City Council placed Measure R on the November 2026 ballot, asking residents to approve a $0.12 per square foot parcel tax projected to raise $18.4 million yearly for pavement resurfacing on 120 miles of local streets. The measure applies to all parcels within city limits and would appear on property tax bills starting in fiscal year 2027-28.
California Elections Code sections 9214 and 9222 set the rules for local tax referendums, requiring either a majority or two-thirds vote depending on the type of levy. Long Beach officials chose the 55 percent threshold allowed under Proposition 218 for certain special taxes, a route taken by 14 other California cities since 2020 but not yet used for street funding in Los Angeles or San Diego.
Local Costs and Service Impacts
For a typical 1,600-square-foot Long Beach home, the tax would add $192 per year. City budget documents show that current general fund allocations for street maintenance total $9.7 million annually, covering only 38 percent of the backlog identified in the 2025 Pavement Condition Index report. Residents in the 90813 and 90805 ZIP codes would see the largest number of affected parcels because those areas contain higher densities of smaller lots.
Los Angeles requires a two-thirds vote for any new parcel tax and collected 47,000 signatures for its most recent street bond measure in 2024. San Diego uses the same two-thirds rule and has rejected three similar proposals since 2018. Long Beach needs only 8,200 valid signatures to qualify a citizen-initiated alternative, a lower bar than the 15,000 required in Los Angeles under its city charter.
Next Steps for Voters
Ballots will be mailed to all registered Long Beach voters by October 5. The county registrar will certify results by December 3. If approved, the tax revenue must be tracked in a separate fund and reported each year in the city’s annual comprehensive financial report, with an independent oversight committee appointed within 90 days of passage.