In a major embarrassment for City Hall, a Sacramento Superior Court judge has ruled that Long Beach’s attempt to raise Measure A sales taxes two years ahead of schedule was unconstitutional, saving residents roughly $48 million over two years.
On Friday, November 7, 2025, Judge Stephen Acquisto ruled that the city’s December 2024 “emergency” ordinance to begin collecting the higher tax in April 2025 violated the California Constitution’s Proposition 218, which requires voter approval for any local tax increase.
The Long Beach Reform Coalition (LBRC) filed the lawsuit in February 2025, arguing that the City Council’s move undermined the legally voter-approved timeline in Measure A. Councilmembers Zendejas, Allen, Duggan, Kerr, Saro, and Ricks-Oddie all voted for the early increase, relying on City Attorney Dawn McIntosh’s assurance that it was “legally sound.”
But court filings reveal the city already knew the state would not approve the plan. Documents show that by late November 2024 two weeks before the City Council vote the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) had warned McIntosh and the City Manager that starting the tax early would be unconstitutional. That crucial fact was never disclosed to the public or the council before the vote.
Judge Acquisto agreed with the LBRC’s position, writing that the City’s reading of Measure A “would require the Court to disregard the dates specified in the measure as to render them meaningless.”
The ruling not only invalidates the city’s early tax ordinance but raises deeper questions:
Why did city leaders proceed with a vote after being told by the state their plan was illegal? Why wasn’t that information shared publicly? And can Long Beach residents trust City Hall’s legal guidance moving forward?
City Attorney McIntosh who faces re-election in 2026 could see the issue return to the ballot box. Critics argue her advice cost taxpayers legal fees and eroded public trust. Councilmember Megan Kerr, who once dismissed the LBRC as a “fringe group,” now faces scrutiny as the organization she mocked just saved Long Beach taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.
As Long Beach heads toward another election cycle, residents are left asking: Who at City Hall is truly working for the people and who’s just spinning the truth?