By Eddie Cota

If you're voting in the June 2 primary election, you'll see more than candidate races on your ballot. Measure ER is a proposed sales tax increase that would affect every purchase you make in Los Angeles County.

Here's what you need to know before you vote.

What is Measure ER?

It's a proposal to raise the L.A. County sales tax by half a cent on every dollar for five years. If it passes, the county expects to collect about $1 billion a year — roughly $5 billion total — before the tax expires in October 2031.

The measure only needs a simple majority to pass, meaning more than half of voters need to approve it.

What would it mean for your wallet?

Whittier's combined sales tax rate is currently 10.5% — already higher than the countywide baseline because the city has its own tax on top of county and state rates. If Measure ER passes, Whittier's rate would go up to 11%.

In everyday terms: an extra 50 cents on a $100 purchase. An extra $5 on a $1,000 purchase. It adds up most for people who spend more — but as a sales tax, it also touches everyday purchases for people across all income levels.

Why is this on the ballot?

The federal government recently cut billions from Medicaid — called Medi-Cal here in California — through a budget law known as H.R. 1. Those cuts are projected to cost L.A. County's health system around $800 million every year going forward.

About 3.8 million county residents — nearly 4 in 10 people — were enrolled in Medi-Cal at the start of this year. Estimates suggest around 1.1 million of them could lose that coverage by 2028. Six county health clinics have already closed.

The L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 in February to put the question directly to voters rather than try to absorb those cuts on their own.

Where would the money go?

This is where it gets a little complicated. Measure ER is technically a general tax, meaning the money goes into the county's general fund — not a dedicated healthcare account. There's no legal requirement that it be spent a certain way.

That said, county supervisors approved a spending plan alongside the measure. Under that plan, 45% would go to nonprofit clinics serving uninsured, low-income patients; 22% would go toward keeping county hospitals and clinics running; and 10% would fund public health programs like disease prevention and health inspections. The measure also calls for independent annual audits and a nine-member oversight committee to publicly track how the money is spent.

The spending plan is a commitment — but not a legally binding one.

What supporters say

Backers of Measure ER argue the county's safety net is already fraying. Four public hospitals and roughly two dozen clinics that serve many Medi-Cal patients are facing a projected $700 million annual revenue loss by 2028-2029. When clinics close and people lose coverage, they end up in emergency rooms — which puts pressure on the whole healthcare system, including for people with private insurance. Supporters include major health providers, unions, and medical associations across the county.

What opponents say

Critics argue that L.A. County residents are already among the most taxed in the country, and adding another half-cent isn't the answer. They also point out that because the money goes into the general fund, the county isn't legally locked into spending it on healthcare — voters would have to trust that supervisors follow through. Some cities have also raised concerns that using up available county tax capacity now makes it harder for them to raise their own revenue later.

The bottom line

Measure ER is a temporary tax asking Whittier residents — and all L.A. County voters — to help backfill a hole left by federal healthcare cuts. Supporters say without it, clinics will close and coverage will disappear for hundreds of thousands of people. Opponents say the county is asking taxpayers to solve a problem that the state and federal government created.

The decision is yours. Ballots are due June 2.