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LA County Supervisor-Chair Lindsey Horvath, Supervisor Janet Hahn and Artesia Councilwoman Melissa Ramoso, 7th from right. Ramoso and others spoke in favor of expanding the Board of Supervisor seats from five to nine.
July 20, 2024
LCCN Staff Report
LA County’s government has remained unchanged since 1912, before women had the right to vote and the population was under 500,000. Today, five elected supervisors serve the most populous County in the nation, each representing two million constituents.
Supervisor Chair Lindsey Horvath and Supervisor Janice Hahn have put forward a proposal to strengthen county government by expanding board seats from five to nine.
They also want to transition from an appointed CEO to an elected County Executive to increase accountability to the voters and divide power between the executive branch-CEO- and the legislative branch-board- to create checks and balances
Finally they want to establish an Independent Ethics Commission to make LA County government more transparent and combat corruption.
At its July 9 meeting, the Board of Supervisors approved Horvath and Hahn’s Governance and Ethics Reform proposal. County Counsel is now drafting an ordinance to amend the Los Angeles County Charter.
The ordinance will return to the Board on July 23 for its first reading. If approved after a second reading, it will go before voters as a charter amendment ballot measure this November.
Under the plan, the nine-supervisor structure would not start until 2032, following a redistricting process, which could give some racial and ethnic groups new political prominence, notably those in the often-overlooked unincorporated parts of the County.
Last week, Artesia Councilwoman Melissa Ramoso and others spoke in support of the Governance and Ethics Reform proposal in Los Angeles County.
“Having been born and raised in one of the greatest and most diverse counties in the United States, it is crucial that the government that serves us looks like us – and especially looks like me. Expanding the Board of Supervisors gives historically underrepresented communities a seat at the decision-making table, especially the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and the Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) communities, and creates a more inclusive, good governance county that we all deserve.”
Ramoso commended Horvath, Hahn, and Solis for their leadership and dedication to advancing these necessary changes and “moving the County into the 21st century.”
