Measure Y at Work

Measure Y was an initiative on the ballot in March 2020 to provide a stable source of income for City services, a ¾-of-one-percent increase in local retail sales tax in Paramount. That additional revenue can only be used for Paramount programs and services, and never be taken by the County or State.

The initiative was overwhelmingly approved by more than 70% of Paramount voters.

Since enactment in July of 2020, the City has received $14.2 million in Measure Y funding. Your tax dollars have been hard at work ever since. This page is dedicated to showcasing the programs and services that have been funded by Measure Y, as well as scheduled projects made possible by the voter-approved initiative.

Public Safety

Since 2007, City sales tax revenue had gone up by 5.5% while the Consumer Price Index – the cost of living in the region – had increased by 30.66%. All contracts for services, including law enforcement with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, had gone up following the CPI.

The total cost to Paramount of one deputy from the Sheriff’s Department had jumped by 80% over the previous 15 years to nearly half a million dollars a year. The largest part of the City’s budget is devoted to public safety, with the major portion of that for the Sheriff’s contract. Consequently, the City was faced with the very real possibility of making dramatic cuts in Sheriff’s services.

The passage of Measure Y kept that from happening. Law enforcement services have been maintained at the highest levels to protect public safety and have kept crime statistics at historically low numbers.