Proposition 499, the ballot initiative in Glendale backed by California labor activists, would jeopardize the critical funding the police and fire departments depend on, putting the city’s public safety at risk. 

The leader of Glendale’s Fraternal Order of Police is warning Glendale voters of the measure’s dangerous consequences were it to pass.  

Proposition 499 mandates that the city of Glendale staff and fund a new Department of Labor Standards at a new annual cost to taxpayers of nearly $1 million. The proposition provides no funding source to pay for these new costs, forcing city leaders either to cut existing core services like public safety or to raise taxes on residents.  

An analysis from Applied Economics finds that Glendale could be slammed with a loss of between “$1.4 million to $2.9 million in cumulative declines in sales tax collections over the next five years from lower hotel occupancy and corresponding reductions in visitor spending” if Proposition 499 were to pass.  

Just like the unfunded mandate of the new labor department, the huge hit to city coffers that will result from reduced visitor spending will again leave the city with only bad choices: cut existing services or raise taxes. 

Glendale FOP President Dave Goitia was briefed about Proposition 499 proponents last week bringing in two L.A. city councilmembers to give a boost to their flagging campaign, including Nithya Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. DSA said Raman’s March 2024 primary victory meant that DSA could continue its fight for “defunding the police,” among other goals. 

Citing the tremendous risk to public safety, the Glendale Fraternal Order of Police is strongly opposed to Proposition 499. 

“What’s bad for Glendale’s economy and tourism sector is bad for Glendale public safety,” Goitia said. “As tourism plummets, so will the tax revenues that public safety depends on. Hiring first responders is difficult enough. Proposition 499 makes our job even harder. The California backers of this initiative might want to defund our police department, but they don’t have to live with the consequences – we do. Proposition 499 is dangerous and puts Glendale lives at risk. I urge everyone to vote no.”