Sales tax hike for transit projects in L.A. County trails narrowly
The fate of a half-cent sales tax hike known as Measure R was too close to call in Los Angeles County Tuesday, despite a massive voter turnout providing a major boost to the ambitious transportation plan.
The road and rail construction measure, which is crucial to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's effort to build a Subway to the Sea, was just under the two-thirds vote needed for passage, according to partial returns.
Villaraigosa and an array of elected officials had been banking on high voter turnout to push the measure to victory. And the electorate delivered, with an estimated 82% of voters turning out -- more than in any previous election year, county election officials said.
The mayor voiced hope that by early today, the county's remaining ballots would push Measure R over the top.
"I've said from the beginning that this was going to be a tough fight," the mayor said. "Were it not for the recession, I believe there would be overwhelming support for this measure."
Measure R faced a great deal of competition, with nearly three dozen other cities, school boards and community college districts placing their own tax measures on the ballot. Los Angeles, Long Beach and El Monte each had three tax measures on the ballot. And some smaller cities, such as Pico Rivera and El Monte, were pursuing their own sales tax hikes.
Tax proposals that needed less than two-thirds of the votes cast had an easier time. Measure Q, a $7-billion facilities bond issue backed by the Los Angeles Unified School District, was heading to an easy victory. Measure J, a $3.5-billion bond measure to rebuild and replace campus facilities in the Los Angeles Community College District, had an even stronger showing, according to partial results. Those measures needed only 55% to pass.
According to early returns, voters were narrowly rejecting Proposition A, the Los Angeles city tax hike to pay for anti-gang measures, which needed two-thirds to win approval.
City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who had pushed for Proposition A, said the measure had struggled to overcome the effect of a crumbling economy.
"We were asking a lot of people on this ballot -- new schools, new community college buildings, high-speed rail," Hahn said. "I think voters had to pick and choose, because at this time, they couldn't afford to pay for everything."
