By Frank Stoltze/LAist
Originally published Sept. 30, 2024
The structure of Los Angeles County’s government has remained mostly unchanged since 1912, when voters approved a new charter.
Back then, the population of L.A. County was roughly 500,000. Today, L.A. County has a population close to 10 million — it’s the most populous county in the U.S. That’s just one reason, according to some authorities, that the changes are long overdue.
Enter: Measure G.
Official title on the November ballot: Los Angeles County Government Structure, Ethics And Accountability Charter Amendment
You are being asked: 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?
WHAT YOUR VOTE MEANS:
- A “yes” vote means you want the county charter to be changed to expand the number of seats on the board, and you want to make the county CEO an elected position.
- A “no” vote means you do not want the county charter to be changed to expand the number of seats on the board, and you do not want to make the county CEO an elected position.
Understanding Measure G
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is a government body that oversees about 10 million residents. That means each supervisor now has a constituency of about two million people.
The supervisors handle many responsibilities, including setting policy for public health, social services, jails and transportation.
If passed, Measure G would increase the number of supervisors who sit on the board from five to nine. Supporters say making the board larger would make it more responsive to and representative of L.A. County by entrusting each supervisor with smaller geographic areas and fewer people.
What else would the measure change?
In addition to increasing the size of the Board of Supervisors, the measure — if it passes — would make the county CEO an elected position, sort of like a mayor, instead of one appointed by the board members.
It would also create an independent ethics commission that would increase restrictions on lobbying and investigate misconduct.
And it would create a non-partisan legislative analyst’s position to review proposed county legislation. The city and state have similar positions.
What do the supervisors and the county CEO do?
The L.A. County supervisors are some of the most powerful local government officials in the country. The roughly 10 million residents they represent is a number that exceeds the population of most U.S. states.
The Board of Supervisors can pass local laws with a three-fifths vote, Unlike at the city level, where the elected mayor can veto a law passed by the city council, the county CEO cannot veto a Board of Supervisors decision.
County supervisors are paid a little more than $232,000 a year.
The chief executive officer works under the direction of the Board of Supervisors to manage the county’s day-to-day operations and carry out its policies and initiatives. The CEO manages multiple county functions, including social services, public health, and fire services.
The current CEO makes more than $566,000 annually.
What do supporters say?
A Yes on G website claims the measure is backed by “a wide coalition of community leaders and organizations, labor unions, civil rights groups, and elected and local governments.”
L.A. County Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn proposed the reform measure. They have called the county “an anomaly,” given that it has five board members representing such an enormous population. (By contrast, San Francisco, which has a population of 875,000, has an 11-member board. Cook County, Illinois, which includes Chicago, has a 17-member commission for a population of 5.2 million.)
Horvath and Hahn have said county residents “suffer deficits of representation and accountability.” Horvath has also said that expanding the board would put “more power into the hands of the community.”
What do opponents say?
In July, Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Holly Mitchell abstained from a vote to place the measure on the November ballot.
Barger has expressed concern about politicizing the CEO position by making it elected one. She has said she believes the person who runs the daily operations of the county should be “non-partisan, unbiased.”
Mitchell has expressed concerns about what passing the measure would cost the county.
Potential financial impact
Supporters of the measure say there would not be any additional cost to taxpayers to implement the reforms. The language of the measure requires that only existing county funding sources be used.
The county budget is $46 billion.
Mitchell has said she doubted there would be no cost to taxpayers.
This report is reprinted with permission from Southern California Public Radio. © 2024 Southern California Public Radio. All rights reserved.
