Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger abstained from voting for an ordinance on July 9 that will expand the board. (photo courtesy of L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger)

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a sweeping motion on July 9 that could update county government for the first time in a century, but not without objections from two members of the board.

The ordinance, co-sponsored by Supervisor Chair Lindsey Horvath, 3rd District, and Supervisor Janice Hahn, 4th District, will appear on the November ballot. Among other initiatives, it would expand the board from five to nine members and establish ethics oversight for county governance.

“Los Angeles County communities are one step closer to having a more representative, transparent and accountable government – positioning the county to more effectively deliver the services and outcomes our residents deserve,” Horvath said.

“The time for change has come and we are seizing this opportunity to give voters the chance to vote to make L.A. County government more representative, more transparent and more accountable,” Hahn said.

If approved by voters, the board would not expand until 2032. The ethics commission would be established by 2026, and a county executive, something akin to a Los Angeles County CEO, would be elected in 2028.

Supervisor Hilda Solis, 1st District, added the deciding vote for the measure, but both Supervisor Holly Mitchell, 2nd District, and Supervisor Kathryn Barger, 5th District, abstained, and criticized aspects of the proposal.

“This reform proposal isn’t a panacea,” Barger said. “Whether our board stays at five members or grows to nine or more, our elected body has a responsibility to lead responsibly, effectively and transparently. Bigger government doesn’t necessarily mean better government – but the matter will be in the public’s hands so they can decide that for themselves come November.”

Barger argued that “regardless of size,” the board often gets “stuck in bureaucracy.”

“A prime example is Men’s Central Jail. Despite our board’s unanimous vote to close it, we’re nowhere closer to shuttering its doors than we were 12 years ago. This is because there is a lack of political will to approve a plan to securely rehabilitate incarcerated individuals who cannot be legally diverted despite several studies that have all concluded that is the path forward,” she continued.

Barger said that she supports creating an ethics commission “immediately,” as opposed to after voter approval, and will be introducing a motion to that end at the next regular board meeting.

“If we’re serious about reforms, let’s enact those now,” she said. “There’s no need to wait.”

Barger also said she felt like the process was not “transparent” and cut out the full board and experts from making a comprehensive plan. Mitchell, who also “welcomed” an expansion to the board, echoed many of Barger’s thoughts.

“These sweeping changes were not thoughtfully presented,” Mitchell said. “What we were asked to vote on … lacked a focus on equity and details to support true governance reform. When I asked about the breadth of outreach that led to this motion being presented, there was no proof of true community engagement that included input from 2nd District residents or residents from throughout the county. There was no data-informed reason for why the number nine was chosen for board seats versus any other number. We have no assessment of the fiscal feasibility of these changes being implemented and what it would potentially cost the county; an honest assessment to the voters is paramount. Questions on who will be able to serve on the governance reform task force remain unanswered despite this task force being tasked with ushering in governance reform for the largest county in the nation.”

Horvath argued that codifying ethics rules in the county charter would help bring voters into the process.

“We want there to be an ongoing public process that has stakeholder engagement,” she said. “I believe there is an interest and an understanding of this kind of charter change.”

Even with these concerns, Solis said that the motion was a step forward and put governance in the hands of the voters.

“Equal representation is the hallmark of American democracy, and we owe it to the people of Los Angeles County to evaluate whether an expanded board of supervisors and elected CEO will allow us to more effectively and efficiently serve the residents who elected us to make sure everyone gets a seat at the table,” Solis said.

Public commenters at the July 9 meeting were largely in favor of the motion.

“The expansion of the board is long overdue, and we’ve been seeking transparency and accountability in the $42 billion budget process,” resident Eli Lipmen said.

President and CEO of the Hollywood Partnership Kathleen Rawson expressed enthusiastic support of the ballot initiative, quoting activist Angela Davis.

“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept,” Rawson said.