Councilmember John Lee urges 'no' on Proposition TT, warns of tourism and oversight risks

Councilmember John Lee used his allotted remarks to urge a 'no' vote on Proposition TT, arguing the measure would increase the hotel tax in Los Angeles, harm tourism-dependent jobs, and send funds to the city's general fund without required guarantees on spending or oversight.

"This measure raises the hotel tax in Los Angeles, already one of the highest in California at 14%," John Lee said. He warned that higher taxes could make neighboring cities more attractive to visitors, shifting tourism dollars and local jobs away from the city.

Lee framed the argument as both economic and distributive: he said tourism supports "hundreds of thousands of jobs" and cited populations who use hotels other than tourists (families displaced by emergencies, seniors, workers between housing). He called Proposition TT "a permanent tax increase without a clear plan or oversight" and urged voters to "protect jobs, protect tourism, vote no on proposition TT."

Why it matters: Proposition TT is a local ballot measure proposed to increase the hotel tax; opponents and proponents differ on revenue uses and oversight mechanisms. The councilmember’s remarks are advisory to voters; the transcript does not record a council vote on the ballot measure during this meeting.

Next steps: This was a public statement by a councilmember intended for voters in advance of the election; no procedural action on the measure was taken in the meeting record.