Barger Encourages Voters to Turn Out

Los Angeles County District 5 Supervisor Kathryn Barger, a San Marino resident, said she encourages voters to decide on a tax proposition to help address homelessness in the county.
Measure H, which is expected to generate $350 million annually with a quarter-cent sales tax, is a countywide ballot item for the March 7 election. The 10-year tax requires two-thirds approval and would be dedicated to services addressing the county’s large homeless population.
Barger, who was elected in November, has long advocated for improving homelessness services and helped to approve the item for March 7 ballots.
“Supervisor Barger says, ‘Vote your conscience, as long as you’re making an informed decision,’” said Tony Bell, Barger’s communications deputy, in a telephone interview on behalf of the supervisor.
If approved, the tax revenues would be used toward housing for the homeless in addition to expanding medical and mental health services for them.
“It’s not just about housing,” Bell emphasized. “It’s about making sure there’s treatment available.”
Bell said Barger notes that the reason she wanted to bring it to voters is because, in the fight against homelessness, what might be a good solution for one community may not necessarily be the right solution for another community.
“My support for putting this proposal on the ballot was incumbent on providing a thoughtful, intelligent and cost-effective plan for both existing funding and the additional funding resulting from the proposed sales tax,” Barger said in a statement. “It will include a thoughtful, cost-effective approach with the input of our cities and provider communities to target resources to areas with the greatest need and ensure accountability. I support efforts to address homelessness that have clear-cut objectives, benchmarks and anticipated outcomes to guarantee an efficient and equitable allocation of tax dollars.”
The tax comes with a 10-year sunset, meaning voters would have the option of extending it or ending it after the 10-year period.
— Zane Hill