Frequently Asked Questions

Measure PF is a citizen-led public safety parcel tax intended to replace expiring Measure E and fund police, fire, paramedic, and emergency services in Palos Verdes Estates. 

Measure E funds law enforcement services and expires on June 30, 2027. Measure PF would replace Measure E with a larger public safety parcel tax that also includes fire, paramedic, and emergency services. 

Measure E was set below actual need, had no cost-of-living adjustment, and only funded police services. Since 2018, costs have continued to rise while Measure E revenues remained flat. 

Because it will fund current public safety costs, includes fire and emergency services, and addresses the gap created by years of flat Measure E revenue and rising expenses.   This protects our Police and Fire/EMS from future budget cuts.  

• Replace Measure E funds                                                $ 5,100,000
• Cover structural operating deficits                                $ 1,700,000
• Pay down pension obligations                                       $ 1,300,000
• Fund approximately $80 million in unfunded infrastructure projects over the next ten years                                                     $ 8,000,000
• Rebuild depleted reserves                                               $     150,000

                                                                                         Total    $16,250,000

The $12 million proposal spreads funding across pensions, police, and infrastructure. It risks underfunding public safety, attempts to fund a volatile pension liability, and does not meaningfully address the City’s long-term infrastructure needs. 

No. Measure PF revenue is legally restricted to public safety purposes approved by voters. The City already has non-parcel-tax revenue that is allocated by the City Council. Measure PF does not create new discretion; it protects essential services. 

Because a citizen-led initiative requires only a simple majority to pass. City-sponsored special taxes generally face the two-thirds approval threshold under Proposition 13.  Measure PF allows residents to vote on what is actually needed without repeating the compromise that shaped Measure E. 

Neighboring cities receive lower property tax percentages in exchange for receiving certain County funded services, including Los Angeles County Fire services, which are paid directly by the County.  Therefore, direct comparisons to neighboring cities can be misleading.

Palos Verdes Estates operates under a different model. PVE pays directly for LA County Fire and paramedic services and also maintains its own local police department.

If PVE operated under the same structure as neighboring cities, receiving County funded fire services in exchange for a lower share of property tax revenues, the City would currently realize a net savings of approximately $2.5 million annually.

The City will likely face the same dilemma it faced in 2018: ask for what is needed or ask for what might pass a two-thirds approval threshold. That could result in another underfunded measure and continued financial instability. 

No. Similar to Measure E, residents cannot opt out of Measure PF. Parcel taxes apply to all parcels covered by the measure unless the ballot language specifically includes an exemption. Measure PF does not include a general senior or resident opt-out provision.

It is worth noting that AI searches may suggest that it is possible to include senior exemptions in California parcel tax measures, and there are examples of such exemptions in certain school district or special district taxes. However, two municipal attorneys have advised that a senior exemption was not legally available or appropriate in this case.

Measure PF follows the same approach as Measure E: the tax applies uniformly to covered parcels, with revenues restricted to funding police, fire, and essential safety services.