Supervisors Holly Mitchell and Kathryn Barger called for a fiscal analysis to be conducted for the expanded board proposal. (photo by Edwin Folven)

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a proposal on July 23 to place a measure on the November ballot that will transform county government and expand the board from five to nine members. It was a first reading for the measure, which must come back before the board for a second vote on July 30.

The measure passed by a 3-2 vote, with Board Chair Lindsey Horvath and Supervisors Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis in favor and Supervisors Holly Mitchell and Kathryn Barger voting no.

“The time for change is now, and it is time to put this decision in the hands of the voters. Only they hold the power to answer whether they want a Los Angeles County government that adapts to keep up with the times, or a government from 1912 when there were more cows than people,” said Horvath, 3rd District, who with Hahn initiated the proposal to expand the board. “They hold the power to reshape how the county serves our most vulnerable and our unincorporated communities, as well as how the county delivers the services on which so many of our communities rely. With the adoption of the governance reform ordinance changes proposed, voters are one step closer to the most meaningful structural reform L.A. County has seen in more than 100 years.”

“Since we unveiled this reform package, I have heard an overwhelming amount of support from people for this effort,” said Hahn, 4th District. “People are hungry for change and they see how these reforms will make L.A. County government more representative, accessible, transparent and responsive to their needs and concerns. These are big changes for the county but they are not radical, and people I talk to are telling me they are long overdue.”

If approved by voters, the proposal would amend the county charter and bring reforms to local government. It will create executive and legislative branches of county government and the elected position of county executive, who would function like a mayor, and an expanded board of supervisors, which would serve as the legislative branch like a City Council. Horvath, Hahn and Solis supported expanding the board to nine members to provide greater representation of the county’s nearly 10 million residents.

Mitchell and Barger held a press conference at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration prior to the July 23 board meeting to discuss a motion they authored to add a fiscal analysis for greater transparency. After approving the ballot measure, the board voted 5-0 to include a fiscal analysis.

Mitchell, 2nd District, and Barger, 5th District, opposed the board expansion proposal because they believe there has not been enough “data-driven” analysis of its consequences. They called for the fiscal analysis to get a better understanding of what the expansion and changes to county government will cost, and to inform the public.

“Supervisor Barger and I are bringing the ballot transparency and consistency motion forward to ensure a fiscal analysis on countywide ballot measures is included on our county sample ballots, so the county is in alignment with what voters currently receive for statewide ballot measures,” Mitchell said. “We know the importance and life changing impact of elections. It’s part of our role as public servants to ensure that voters have all of the facts and the impartial analyses they need to make an informed decision on our countywide ballot measures, or any vote for that matter.”

“Trusting government and elected representation is fundamental so that our democracy can succeed and thrive. I wholeheartedly support providing information and resources for voters,” Barger added. “As elected as the legislative body, we need to do everything in our power to uphold the tenants of transparency and accountability.”

Solis, 1st District, supported putting the decision on expansion to the voters and including the fiscal analysis to ensure the public understands the potential costs. However, she cautioned that the analysis would provide an estimate of costs, which may increase as the process unfolds.

“We have to look at what the cost figures are,” Solis said. “Just like … when you’re putting [county] budgets together, you make an assumption, this is where we are at a point in time, and revenues change in that course. It could be because of things that are out of our control. I really hope that the public understands that this is not, how could I say, a hard science. There’s a lot of subjectivity here.”

Implementation of the expansion plan would likely take years. An independent ethics commission would be created by 2026 to help guide reforms and ensure the process is impartial. It is anticipated the county executive would be elected by 2028. The board expansion would occur in 2032 and would be based on population data from the 2030 census. The plan requires that the expansion be cost-neutral, with no new taxes.

The board approved another motion by Barger and Horvath on July 23 asking county legal counsel to return in 30 days with information on creating an independent ethics commission.

“Creating, funding and empowering an independent ethics commission for Los Angeles County is necessary and the right thing to do,” Horvath said. “Through this motion, and with input from community voices, we will lay the groundwork for the commission, while working towards putting to voters a charter amendment to ensure the commission cannot be undone without a vote of the people.”

Supervisor Kathryn Barger spoke about the importance of fiscal accountability and transparency with the government expansion proposal. (photo by Edwin Folven )