LA COUNTY GOVERNANCE AND ETHICS REFORMS TO BE PLACED ON NOVEMBER BALLOT

The charter amendment creates an elected County Executive & Ethics Commission, expands the Board of Supervisors, and more

Los Angeles, CA — At today’s meeting, the Board of Supervisors took historic action to put the most comprehensive governance and ethics reform package for Los Angeles County on the ballot this November. Voters will now decide on a County Charter amendment that creates an elected County Executive; expands the Board of Supervisors from five to nine seats; and establishes common-sense ethics reforms.

As part of Item 6 on the agenda, the Board approved putting the following measure on the November 5 ballot:

LOS ANGELES COUNTY GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE, ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY CHARTER AMENDMENT. Shall the measure amending the Los Angeles County Charter to create an elected County Executive; create an independent Ethics Commission to increase restrictions on lobbying and investigate misconduct; establish a nonpartisan Legislative Analyst to review proposed County policies; increase the Board of Supervisors from five to nine elected members; require County departments to present annual budgets in public meetings; using existing funding sources with no additional taxes to implement, as detailed in the charter amendment ordinance, be adopted? 

The motion calling for County Charter ordinance changes was authored by Chair Lindsey P. Horvath and Supervisor Janice Hahn. The second reading of the ordinance was approved today through Item 7 on the agenda.

“Change is now in the hands of Los Angeles County voters who will tell us whether it’s time for a more representative, transparent, accountable, and effective Los Angeles County,” said Chair Lindsey P. Horvath. “If voters call for change, I stand ready to champion implementation through a broad-based public process that centers the voices of our most marginalized communities. This is the very beginning of a going-forward process that invites everyone into shaping a 21st century model for governance that works for Los Angeles County.”

“When asked, residents overwhelmingly say they support reforming LA County government. They tell us they want smaller, more representative districts, checks and balances, and commonsense ethics reforms that hold officials accountable,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “At the end of the day, this is not the Supervisors’ government. This is the people’s government. And this November, the people will get to decide how they want it to work.”

The Los Angeles County governance structure has not changed much since it was adopted in 1912 when the population was 500,000, segregation was the law of the land, and women didn’t have the right to vote. If approved by voters this November, the charter amendments would kick off a public process led by the Governance Reform Task Force to implement governance and ethics reforms.

The charter amendment 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.

The charter amendment would also expand the Board from five to nine seats to increase representation and create opportunities for a Board that reflects the diversity of Los Angeles County. A Board of nine Supervisors has been studied for decades. It is a measured approach to bring the public closer to their elected representatives by cutting districts nearly in half.