The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors seldom experiences divisiveness or contention.
But the powerful board run by five women for each of the five districts across the biggest county in the nation is now split over whether to expand its own agency to have more elected board members. And two opposite sides are actively campaigning for or against Measure G.
What would Measure G do?
If the majority of Los Angeles County voters say “yes” on Measure G, they would allow the county to amend its charter to increase the total number of supervisors to nine, instead of the current five.
If passed, the county would also create a county executive, who would essentially become “the mayor of the county,” who would be selected by LA County voters.
Measure G also seeks to establish an ethics commission and a legislative analyst, which would review possible policies for the county.
3 vs. 2
While Supervisors Lindsey Horvath, Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis are supporting Measure G, Supervisors Holly Mitchell and Kathryn Barger are against it.
Why supporters want Measure G
- More representation:
- Those who want to expand the Board say Los Angeles County is too massive and diverse to be represented by just five people.
- Supervisors Horvath, who represents the third district, which includes LA’s Westside and the San Fernando Valley, argues county governance reform is long overdue.
- “The last time the county government changed was back in 1912 when there were more cows than people in this county,” Horvath said. “We need to change our government to make it responsive to 21st century needs.”
- More diversity:
- Supporters use Supervisor Hilda Solis as an example for why the county board needs to be expanded: While nearly half of LA County’s population is Hispanic, Solis is the lone Latina member of the board.
- By having more seats at the table and more voices to reflect the diverse county, there will be more policies that could serve and represent different areas, according to Horvath and other supporters.
- Mayor of Los Angeles County
- In addition to more board members, Measure G seeks to establish a county executive, who would be like a county mayor.
- Instead of the current Los Angeles County CEO who is appointed by the board, Measure G would make that position an elected office, which would force the county’s budget process more transparent, and whoever drafting the budget would be more accountable to the people of LA, supporters argue.
What opponents say about Measure G
- Giving too much power to one person
- Opponents say if the position of a county executive is created, the person would have no term limits while overseeing the county with the authority to hire and fire county department heads.
- This mayor of the county would also have full control over the county’s budget with no veto power over the board, according to opponents.
- “It completely alters the balance of power between either five or nine or whatever number of board of supervisors, and this singular person who would be responsible for all 10 million Angelenos,” said Supervisor Holly Mitchell during an interview with NBC4’s NewsConference.
- Supervisor Kathryn Barger also called Measure G is a “Trojan horse” to consolidate all decision-making power into one position.
- Too costly
- While Measure G supporters say that the expansion of the county government would not cost taxpayers, opponents do not buy the argument.
- Mitchell says all the costs of increasing the number of board districts and creating the county mayor position would come from the existing county budget.
- “I don’t know how you set up this brand-new infrastructure of a county-wide CEO, add four new supervisors, plus their staffs and not think it’s going to cost LA County residents money,” Mitchell said.
- Stepchildren of LA County
- Opponents argue those who live in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County would become more disenfranchised under Measure G.
- As the pie of the LA County budget and resources are split into more slices – more districts and more decision-makers – the board would be more stifled to provide municipal services in the incorporated neighborhoods, opponents claim.
- “There’s a reason why East LA was fighting for cityhood, and why the San Fernando Valley is frustrated and feels like they’re not heard by the city of LA. This is not going to change that. This is going to make it worse,” Supervisor Barger said.
While Mitchell and Barger oppose Measure G, Mitchell said she supports the idea of increasing the number of board members, and Barger said she supports the notion of creating an ethics commision.
Source: NBC Los Angeles