What’s been done so far on Measure J
- Dec 3
- 3 min read
Immediately after passage, the Board of Supervisors established a 17‑member advisory body the “Re‑imagine LA Advisory Committee” to shape how Measure J funds would be allocated.
The first‑year spending plan (Year 1) under what became Justice, Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD) allocated about US$187.7 million toward community investments and alternatives to incarceration — including youth programs, pre‑trial services, housing and supportive services, and re‑entry supports.
In subsequent years, additional allocations continued: the County reports tens of millions more went to violence prevention, non-carceral diversion programs, job training, housing assistance, etc.
By fiscal year 2025–26, the adopted budget reportedly allocates US$571.6 million (ongoing + carryover) for “direct community investment and alternatives to incarceration,” consistent in spirit with Measure J’s mandate.
Big problem on the horizon: Charter error threatens Measure J’s permanence
In 2021 a County Superior Court struck down Measure J, ruling it unconstitutional because it purported to restrict the Board of Supervisors’ budget authority.
But in July 2023, a state appellate court reversed that ruling — reinstating Measure J as valid.
Despite that, a new complication emerged: when Measure G passed in 2024 (a governance‑reform charter update), the County failed to incorporate Measure J’s language into the revised charter — essentially wiping it out.
This administrative oversight means, unless corrected, Measure J would be fully repealed by 2028.
Because of that oversight, as of mid‑2025 the Board of Supervisors moved to “reaffirm commitment” to Measure J — directing County Counsel to explore legal and legislative fixes and consider placing a corrective charter amendment on the ballot (potentially 2026) to re‑enshrine Measure J permanently
What this means right now — For Los Angeles County in plain English
The County has largely followed through: money has been invested, programs funded, and a “Care First / Jails Last” bureaucracy built.
But — because of a bureaucratic slip (not updating the charter), the voter mandate that set aside 10% for community investments is on shaky ground. If nothing changes, 2028 could mark the effective end of Measure J.
The momentum for preserving it is real: the Board re‑affirmed commitment in 2025 and is exploring a charter fix or ballot re‑authorization.
Why LA County Residents should care (and maybe watch closely)
If you are interest in community investment, Black homeownership, housing equity, social programs — the potential rollback of Measure J matters big time. The funds it unlocks trickle into youth development, small‑business support, housing, and alternatives to incarceration — the very kinds of structural investments that shift power and stability.
If Measure J fades, those dollars could vanish or be re‑allocated elsewhere — undercutting long‑term efforts to invest in equity and community infrastructure in L.A.
Has Measure J lived up to the moment — or fallen behind?
When voters passed Measure J in November 2020, it was billed as a transformative pivot: dedicate at least 10% of locally generated, unrestricted County funding toward community investments — think youth development, job training, small business support, supportive housing, mental‑health services, and alternatives to incarceration. The vision was ambitious: invest in care over cages; shift resources from enforcement toward community uplift.
But today, three years on — and after a cascade of bureaucratic mis‑steps — Measure J looks more like a promise under siege than a success story fully delivered.
Is This Measure working?
The County has used the “Care First / Community Investment” framework to channel some funds toward social‑service agencies, housing support, youth services, and diversion programs.
Officials recently moved to “reaffirm” their commitment to Measure J — signaling awareness that the 2020 mandate still carries moral and political weight.
Where it’s lagging — or unraveling
As of early 2025, the county estimates there are hundreds of millions in unspent Measure J funds — roughly $325 million sitting idle, with projections of $284 million unspent in coming years.
Implementation has been slow and messy. The original plan called for third‑party administrators (TPAs) to streamline funding to community‑based orgs, but those contracts were delayed — and at times scrapped — leaving many CBOs stuck negotiating directly with county offices.
And — most alarmingly — a 2025 disclosure revealed that a separate ballot measure, Measure G (passed in 2024), accidentally repealed Measure J — because Measure J was never properly codified into the County Charter.
In effect: even if some funding trickled out, the legal backbone of Measure J is deteriorating just as infrastructural needs — homelessness, housing instability, mental‑health crises, systemic inequities — are surging in L.A. County.
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