Los Angeles City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian wants voters to weigh in on a new parcel tax that would hit private country clubs and other membership-based recreational facilities in the wallet. His idea: a $4-per-square-foot levy that he says could bring in up to $250 million a year for infrastructure repairs and housing programs. Nazarian plans to introduce a motion at the council this week to kick off the process of putting the question on the ballot.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the proposal is narrowly aimed at large, private, membership-based recreational clubs within city limits. If the City Council signs off, the measure would then move to the City Attorney, who would be tasked with drafting the ballot resolution and ordinance language. A copy of Nazarian’s motion reviewed by the Times outlines possible uses for the cash, including curb and sidewalk repairs, pothole and alley repaving, tax credits and permit relief to support film and television production, and financial assistance for first-time homebuyers.
What Nazarian Wants
Nazarian is pitching the tax as a way to create an ongoing stream of money for what he calls "critical investments" in affordable housing, homelessness response and local infrastructure, while also reserving a portion to boost the city’s film economy. Per Councilmember Adrin Nazarian's office, he has already introduced a series of motions this year intended to keep film and TV production in Los Angeles, and this parcel-tax concept is his latest attempt to link new revenue with industry support.
How It Would Reach The Ballot
To land on the Nov. 3 ballot, the measure must first clear a vote of the full City Council. If councilmembers agree to move it forward, the City Attorney’s office would then prepare the ballot language, ordinance and related resolutions. That timeline, and the requirement that the City Attorney prepare the formal ballot materials, is laid out in a report available on the City Clerk’s website. City Attorney report.
Legal Hurdles And Vote Threshold
The idea of a parcel tax immediately runs into legal complexity. Non‑ad valorem parcel taxes in California are typically treated as special taxes, which in most cases means they need approval from two thirds of local voters. The Legislative Analyst's Office explains that Proposition 218 tightened voter-approval rules for local taxes and made it significantly harder for special-purpose parcel taxes to succeed at the ballot box without a supermajority.
What Comes Next
Nazarian plans to formally introduce the motion this week. If the council votes to advance it, the City Attorney will draft the ballot language and the proposal could go before voters in November. The council’s decision is the key first hurdle; after that, it will be up to Angelenos to decide whether taxing private clubs is a step they are willing to take in a year that is already shaping up to be crowded with tax and policy measures. As the Los Angeles Times notes, Nazarian has told aides that a Malcolm Gladwell podcast helped inspire the idea, and his motion argues the tax could provide a "meaningful and ongoing revenue stream" for core city priorities.
