Measure G: Expansion of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

The structure of Los Angeles County government has remained largely unchanged since 1912, when voters approved a new charter.

At the time, Los Angeles County’s population was approximately 500,000. Currently, Los Angeles County has almost 10 million inhabitants – it is the most populous county in the United States. This is just one of the reasons why, according to some authorities, the changes have been planned for a long time.

Enter: Measure G.

The official title of the November vote: Los Angeles County Government Structure, Ethics and Accountability Charter Amendment

You are asked: Whether a measure amending the Los Angeles County Charter seeks to create an elected county executive; create an independent Ethics Commission to increase restrictions on lobbying and investigate misconduct; appoint an impartial 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 at public meetings; will the use of existing sources of financing without additional taxes be adopted for implementation, as specified in the regulation amending the Statute?

WHAT YOUR VOICE MEANS

AND “Yes” voting means you want the county charter amended to increase the number of seats on the board and you want county director to be an elected position.
AND “NO” voting means you don’t want the county charter changed to increase the number of seats on the board and you don’t want county president to be an elected position.

Understanding Measure G

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is the government body that oversees approximately 10 million residents. This means that each overseer now has an electorate of approximately two million people.

Supervisors perform many duties, including setting policy on public health, social services, corrections and transportation.

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If passed, Measure G would increase the number of regulators serving on the board from five to nine. Supporters say expanding the board would make it more representative and representative of Los Angeles County if each supervisor were tasked with smaller geographic areas and fewer people.

What else will this measure change?

In addition to increasing the size of the Board of Supervisors, the measure, if adopted, would make the county’s chief executive officer an elected position, similar to a mayor, rather than an appointee of board members.

It would also create an independent ethics commission that would tighten restrictions on lobbying and investigate misconduct.

It would also create a position of impartial legislative analyst to review the county’s proposed legislation. The city and state take a similar stance.

What do supervisors and the district director do?

Los Angeles County supervisors are some of the most powerful local government officials in the country. The approximately 10 million residents they represent exceed the population of most U.S. states.

The Supervisory Board may adopt local regulations by a three-fifths majority. Unlike the situation at the city level, where the elected mayor can veto a bill passed by the city council, the county CEO cannot veto a decision of the Board of Supervisors.

County supervisors earn just over $232,000 a year.

The Chief Executive Officer works under the direction of the Board of Supervisors and manages the county’s day-to-day operations and implements its policies and initiatives. The CEO manages many of the county’s functions, including social services, public health and the fire department.

The current CEO earns over $566,000 per year.

What do supporters say?

AND Yes, on the G site says the solution has the support of “a broad coalition of community leaders and organizations, labor unions, civil rights groups, and elected and local governments.”

Los Angeles County Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn proposed the reform. They called the county an “anomaly” considering it has five board members representing such a huge population. (By contrast, San Francisco, which has a population of 875,000, has an 11-member board. In Cook County, Illinois, which includes Chicago, the board has 17 members out of a population of 5.2 million.)

Horvath and Hahn said county residents “are experiencing deficits in representation and accountability.” Horvath also said expanding the board would put “more power in the hands of the community.”

What do opponents say?

In July, Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Holly Mitchell abstained from voting to place the measure on the November ballot.

Barger expressed concern about the politicization of the CEO position by being elected CEO. She said she believes the person in charge of the county’s day-to-day operations should be “impartial and impartial.”

Mitchell expressed concerns about the cost to the county of adopting the measure.

Potential financial impact

Supporters of this solution claim that the implementation of the reforms will not result in any additional costs for taxpayers. The measure’s language requires that only existing district funding sources be used.

The county budget is $46 billion.

Mitchell expressed doubts that taxpayers would not bear any costs.

Go deeper

Unpacking the effects of voting activities in Los Angeles County

Why is the proposal to expand the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors such a big deal?

A measure to expand the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is headed to the ballot. Here’s what you need to know

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