Los Angeles News & Updates from EKA – July 17, 2026
EKA Spotlight
Last month, the City of Long Beach awarded EKA client LAZ Parking a contract to provide citywide parking operations and management services. The agreement includes an initial three-year term with options to renew for two additional one-year periods. Under the contract, LAZ Parking will continue managing the City’s seven parking structures and 16 surface parking lots.
EKA has supported LAZ Parking’s efforts over the years and is proud to see its longstanding partnership with the City of Long Beach continue through this new agreement.
Key Updates
LA ballot measures: What we can expect for November
Local ballot measures for the November general election are being finalized, with local jurisdictions facing an Aug. 7 deadline to complete them, according to the LA County Registrar’s office. At the county level, at least two countywide measures are expected. One would enshrine LA County’s new independent ethics commission into the county charter; the seven-member commission will enforce ethics laws, conduct investigations and levy penalties, with three members appointed by elected officials and the rest selected through a public application process. The Board of Supervisors is also using that measure to correct an administrative error discovered after Measure G passed, which inadvertently put Measure J and its mandated funding for community investment and alternatives to incarceration on the chopping block. A second county measure would require binding arbitration in certain labor disputes between the county and public safety organizations, covering unions representing firefighters, deputy sheriffs, sworn law enforcement supervisors and lifeguards; because these employees cannot strike under California law, the measure aims to equalize a power imbalance. At the city level, Angelenos will decide a half-cent sales tax to fund the Los Angeles Fire Department, plus six charter reform measures covering ethics and campaign finance rules, doubling the Recreation and Parks Department’s budget percentage over time, moving the city to a two-year budget cycle, removing a restriction on commercial activities, changing lowest-bidder contracting rules, and requiring a capital infrastructure plan. The City Council controversially opted to forgo a slate of major changes, including measures on LAPD oversight and expanding the City Council.
Supervisors Move to Uphold Will of Voters by Preserving Measure J
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion authored by Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell on July 7 to begin the process of ensuring that the voter-approved commitments to community investments and alternatives to incarceration established through Measure J remain permanently protected in the County Charter as Los Angeles County implements its new governance structure. The motion directs County Counsel to incorporate two key clarifications into the pending charter amendment that would establish the county’s first Ethics Commission: relocating Measure J to a new section of the County Charter so that it is no longer subject to potential repeal in 2028 under Measure G, and explicitly requiring the elected County Executive, who will first take office in 2028, to comply with Measure J and preventing that executive from vetoing the voter-mandated Measure J funding allocation during the county budget process. Supporters said the change provides stability that community-based organizations need to sustain programs, warning that without certainty, organizations face layoffs, service reductions or closure, and that an administrative error should never override the clear intent of the voters. The proposed amendment is scheduled to return to the Board on July 21, with final approval for placement on the November 2026 ballot required by July 28.
What's Happening in LA
Mayor Bass administration quietly replaced chief heat officer a month ago
Noncitizen voting was gaining steam in L.A. Then fears of Trump backlash scuttled the plan
Judge Rules Federal Funding to LAHSA Must Continue
LA County Launches Multilingual Board Agendas, Digital Displays
Spotlight Item
Port of Los Angeles Offers $75 Million with Zero-Emission Truck Purchasing Incentive Project
The Port of Los Angeles is soliciting proposals from Licensed Motor Carriers registered in its Port Drayage Truck Registry to purchase at least 10 battery-electric Class 8 drayage trucks, offering up to $300,000 per truck and a maximum $24 million per carrier. Total funding is $75 million, combining $50 million from the U.S. EPA Clean Ports Program and $25 million from the Port’s Clean Truck Fund Rate, with contracting questions due July 20 and proposals due Dec. 3. The RFP is part of a broader $600 million-plus Clean Ports Program effort with terminal operators APM, Everport, Fenix, TraPac, and Yusen aimed at reaching 100% zero-emission terminal operations.
What We're Reading
Long Beach Firefighter-Backed Tax Measure Fails to Qualify for November Ballot
Strong El Niño now a virtual certainty, forecasters say. What it means for California
Trump administration clears path for controversial Mojave Desert water pipeline
Beverly Hills Installs New City Council
Culver Council Extends Ban on New Drive-Thru Restaurants
Fire-damaged Pacific Palisades shopping center sets reopening date
Legendary Television City may be sold in further blow to Hollywood
Port of Los Angeles Records Best June Ever, Tops 1 Million Container Units
Long Beach will soon start planning budget cuts; here’s how you can weigh in

