L.A. Council Delays Vote on Proposed 'Mansion Tax' Rewrite

Councilmember Nithya Raman's plan to exempt newer apartment buildings from the tax faces pushback from labor and community groups.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 6:15pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Los Angeles City Council has delayed a vote on a proposal by Councilmember Nithya Raman to rewrite the city's 'mansion tax', known as Measure ULA. Raman argued the tax is holding back housing production, but her plan to exempt sellers of newer apartment buildings faced strong opposition from labor leaders and community groups who support the tax. The council sent Raman's proposal to a committee for further review, effectively pushing it off the June ballot and delaying any potential changes to Measure ULA.

Why it matters

Measure ULA, a tax on property sales over $5.3 million, has been a contentious issue in Los Angeles. Developers argue it is stifling new housing construction, while supporters say it has generated crucial funding for affordable housing and homelessness programs. Raman's proposal to exempt newer apartment buildings was an attempt to address the housing industry's concerns, but faced pushback from those who want to preserve the tax as-is.

The details

Raman's proposal would have spared the sellers of apartment buildings built within the last 15 years from paying the Measure ULA tax. She argued this would help spur more housing production. However, labor leaders and community groups that support Measure ULA strongly opposed the plan, saying it would undermine a voter-approved tax that has raised over $1 billion for affordable housing and homelessness services. The council ultimately decided to send Raman's proposal to a committee for further review rather than take it up for a vote, effectively delaying any potential changes to Measure ULA until at least the November election.

  • On Tuesday, January 27, 2026, Councilmember Nithya Raman proposed her plan to rewrite Measure ULA.
  • Wednesday, January 28, 2026 was the deadline to request measures for the June 2 municipal ballot.

The players

Nithya Raman

A Los Angeles City Councilmember who proposed a plan to exempt sellers of newer apartment buildings from the Measure ULA 'mansion tax'.

Karen Bass

The Mayor of Los Angeles who sponsored a state bill last fall to overhaul Measure ULA, but the effort quickly fell apart.

Jerry Jones

The executive director of the Greater LA Coalition on Homelessness, who argued that Measure ULA should not be changed as it has provided crucial funding for affordable housing and homelessness services.

Yvonne Wheeler

The head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, who told council members they should not give in to 'powerful developers' who want carve-outs from the voter-approved Measure ULA tax.

Joe Donlin

The director of the United to House LA coalition, a group that opposed Raman's proposal to rewrite Measure ULA.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“You can't address a housing crisis with a policy that worsens our housing shortage. You just can't.”

— Nithya Raman, Los Angeles City Councilmember (Los Angeles Times)

“ULA has been under relentless attacks from the billionaire class -- the same interests that have filed lawsuit after lawsuit [against ULA] to avoid paying their fair share.”

— Yvonne Wheeler, Head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor (Los Angeles Times)

“ULA is an economic engine for the city. It's building hundreds of housing units every year ... and every year it's going to be funding hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in our neighborhoods.”

— Joe Donlin, Director of the United to House LA coalition (Los Angeles Times)

What’s next

The Los Angeles City Council has sent Councilmember Nithya Raman's proposal to rewrite Measure ULA to a committee for further review, effectively pushing any potential changes to the November election at the earliest.

The takeaway

The debate over Measure ULA, Los Angeles' 'mansion tax', highlights the tensions between the city's efforts to address the housing crisis and the real estate industry's concerns about the tax's impact on new development. The council's decision to delay a vote on Raman's proposal shows the political challenges of reforming the voter-approved measure.