REPS. LIEU, CHU & AAPI LEADERS SUPPORT LA COUNTY GOVERNANCE AND ETHICS REFORM

AAPI community shares importance of more diverse representation on the Board and increased transparency and accountability

Los Angeles, CA July 18, 2024 — At a press conference today, Congressmembers Ted Lieu (CA-36) and Judy Chu (CA-28) joined Los Angeles County Board Chair Lindsey P. Horvath, Supervisors Janice Hahn and Hilda L. Solis, and AAPI community leaders, to support the most comprehensive governance and ethics reform package for Los Angeles County in over 100 years. The proposal, introduced by Chair Horvath and Supervisor Hahn, will create an elected County Executive; expand the Board of Supervisors from five to nine; and establish common-sense ethics reforms. 

“Los Angeles County is the largest county in our nation, with incredibly diverse communities that deserve to be represented on the Board of Supervisors,” said Board Chair Lindsey P. Horvath, Third District. “Expanding from five to nine seats is a modest increase that we can do within existing resources, while meaningfully creating an opportunity for more diverse voices, including our AAPI community, to be represented. Thank you to Reps. Lieu and Chu, Councilmember Raman, and so many leading voices, for supporting this governance overhaul to create a more transparent and accountable Los Angeles County.”

“One of the communities that would benefit from smaller districts is the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. No one district has an AAPI majority. But if the proposal Supervisor Horvath and I have put forward passes – that could change,” said LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, Fourth District. “We want to expand the board from five districts to nine – not because we want bigger government, but because we want better, more representative government. We want to make sure more voices are in our Board room when we are deciding how to tackle the biggest challenges we face as a County.  The AAPI community deserves a seat at that table.” 

“As Supervisor for the First District, I take great pride in representing many AAPI ethnic enclaves such as Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Historic Filipinotown, and Thai Town, but also a large swath of the San Gabriel Valley – Los Angeles County’s first Asian American suburb,” said LA County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, First District. “The composition of the Board of Supervisors must reflect the increased diversity of Los Angeles County’s population. To that end, I support the governance reform proposal by Chair Lindsey Horvath and Supervisor Janice Hahn because, at a time when residents are looking for greater transparency and representation from their elected officials, we must allow voters to determine what they want their County government to look like. This is about determining how we can most effectively represent the needs of residents from every zip code, every demographic, and every income level.”

At its July 9 meeting, the Board of Supervisors approved Supervisor Horvath and Hahn’s governance and ethics reform proposal. County Counsel is now drafting an ordinance to amend the Los Angeles County Charter, which was adopted in 1912 when the population was 500,000. The ordinance will return to the Board on July 23 for first reading. If approved after a second reading, the proposal will go before voters as a charter amendment ballot measure this November.

This proposed change would create distinct executive and legislative branches of the government through a directly elected County Executive. The elected County Executive would function much like a Mayor, Governor, or President with the Board of Supervisors serving as the legislative branch like a City Council, State Legislature, or Congress.

Beyond the three key pillars of the proposal, additional reforms include establishing a commission to review the County Charter every ten years; creating a Director of Budget and Management and a County Legislative Analyst; requiring departments to present their annual budget in open hearings; creating a task force to oversee reform implementation; and that all changes come at no additional costs to or taxes imposed on taxpayers to implement. 

“The Ethics Commission will hold our elected Supervisors and County staff responsible for their own actions and remind them there are standards we must observe and abide by,” said Artesia Councilmember Melissa Ramoso. “This creates trust, accountability, and public confidence that many resident voters are entitled to. I commend Supervisors Horvath, Hahn and Solis for their leadership and dedication to advancing these necessary changes and moving our County into the 21st century.

“Our AAPI communities have overcome a long history of hardship, discrimination, and lack of representation,” said Alhambra Councilmember Jeff Maloney. “But now, with one of the largest API communities in the entire country, it is well past time that our community has appropriate representation on the LA County Board of Supervisors.”

One in 6 Angelenos is Asian or Pacific Islander. The fact remains that despite our population size, we have never had an Asian or Pacific Islander person on the Board of Supervisors,” said Manjusha P. Kulkarni, Executive Director of AAPI Equity Alliance. “We believe that an expanded Board of Supervisors gives us an opportunity for better representation. Community engagement every step of the way is important to ensure that equity is front and center.”

“We have an opportunity to be part of a historic moment that creates more seats at a leadership table that represents 10 million people in the largest county in the United States, bringing more diversity to the Board of Supervisors,” said Nancy Yap, Executive Director of CAUSE. “Transparency and collaboration start with being invited to the conversation. API communities look forward to building this change together with our neighbors in LA County.”