Gab Chabrán
covers what's happening in food and culture for LAist.
Published May 9, 2025 5:00 AM
A country levain loaf from Colossus Bakery, a naturally leavened sourdough bread that's fermented for 36 hours.
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Danielle G Adams
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Courtesy Colossus
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Topline:
Across L.A., a group of bakers and pizza makers are slowing down the production of their products, yielding some seriously delicious results.
How long are we talking about here? Sourdough bread in Long Beach takes a day-and-a-half from start to finish, and New York-style pizza even more. Because what is time anyway?
Who's doing this? We visited Colossus, which has locations in Long Beach and San Pedro, Danny Boy's Famous Original Pizza in downtown L.A. and Grá in Historic Filipinotown to learn their secrets.
Flash back to the pandemic, when everyone you knew made sourdough bread because all they had was time on their hands. That new obsession birthed a million loaves of bread.
There was a whole rabbit hole to fall into, including how to source a sourdough starter, the length of fermentation, consistency, taste and crumb. People began showing pictures of their home-grown loaves, and naming their sourdough starters as if they were their children.
Post-pandemic, it led to a new appreciation of something that had been under our noses for some time — the handful of L.A. bakeries making artisanal sourdough bread.
While you can get sourdough rolls in your local supermarket, commercially made bread often doesn't follow traditional sourdough baking methods, likely supplementing with yeast to get a quicker fermentation.
But other bakeries, like Lodge Bread, Clark Street Bakery, and Bub & Grandma's, have committed to the full-on, time-consuming process, taking at least two days to allow different tastes and textures to bubble up (literally). And now, it's spreading to other dough-centered foods, like pizza, as pizza makers experiment with techniques allowing the rise to take four to five days.
What is it about slow fermentation that has captured the attention of bakers and pizza makers? I spoke to some people leading this trend.
Something in the air
At Colossus, located in Long Beach and San Pedro (and soon to be Anaheim), Kristin Colazas Rodriguez has been slowly perfecting her recipe for naturally leavened sourdough loaves for over five years.
Colazas Rodriguez cultivated her bread-making style when working in the Bay Area in the early 2010s. There, she worked alongside ex-employees of Tartine Bakery, the famed bakery that started in San Francisco and built its reputation on slow-fermented sourdough bread. The technique fascinated Colazas Rodriguez, who brought it down to Long Beach and began making her own version of the bread, and selling it at local farmer markets before expanding to open Colossus.
The sourdough starter at Colossus, affectionately named Jesus, is the basis for their naturally leavened sourdough loaves.
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Courtesy Colossus
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Kristin Colazas Rodriguez, owner of Colossus, taking time to prepare the naturally fermented dough.
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Courtesy Colossus
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Her team starts each morning by making the dough, adding a portion of their starter, and allowing it to ferment at room temperature for five to six hours.
Kristen Colazas Rodriguez, owner and operator of Colossus Bread
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Courtesy Colossus
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Then, it's time for cold fermentation, where the dough is put in the refrigerator overnight, slowing the fermentation process. This also forms lactic acid bacteria, which gives the dough its sour flavor.
After roughly 36 hours, the dough is finally ready to be baked into a stretchy, crunchy loaf of bread.
Her work is best exemplified by their country levain, a tangy, sliced sourdough loaf. Its large open crumb makes it perfect for a sandwich, or toast with butter and jam. For me, no other type of bread comes close.
Colazas Rodriguez's passion for sourdough isn't simply artisanal; she also feels it contributes to a healthy way of life.
"We can manipulate it, improve the nutritional quality of the starches and enzymes, and unlock its minerals," she said. "I don't think we would have a product that was as healthy if we were throwing in instant yeast, if we weren't correctly fermenting, and if we weren't long fermenting those grains."
A customer looks over the bakery case fulled with naturally leavened bread displayed at Colossus in Long Beach.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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The pizza dough whisperer
Chef Daniel Holzman, owner of DannyBoy's Famous Original Pizza inside the Wells Fargo building in downtown L.A., with another location in Westwood, makes acclaimed New York-style pizza.
But it comes with a twist. Instead of proofing the dough for a day, as is customary for New York style, Holzman, who has formal training as a chef, extends the fermentation for four or even five days. It's been somewhat controversial.
"I was told I was doing it wrong, and I've been consistently told we're doing it wrong," Holzman said.
Daniel Holzman of Danny Boy's Famous Original Pizza with his prized take on New York-style pizza
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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Daniel Holzman of Danny Boy's Famous Original Pizza shows the gluten structure that's formed after the long fermentation process.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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Wrongness be damned, as plenty of customers (and I) discovered, the pizza he creates is buttery, flaky, soft and chewy. Holzman's pizza dough, however, doesn't use a sourdough starter. Instead, he uses commercial yeast for the long fermentation, even though it's typically used to speed up the fermentation process.
The yeast produces carbon dioxide, which allows the dough to rise and creates micro blisters, or bubbles, in the crust, similar to the bubbles in beer. This results in a crispy crust on the outside yet an airy, light texture on the inside. While that is happening, the formation of the gluten structure occurs, which gives the dough its elasticity and chewy quality.
As an illustration, Holzman recently made a viral social media video where he walks shows a series of proofing boxes containing furled pizza dough balls.
Each box holds dough at a different stage of the fermentation process. You can see the texture developing as he pokes his finger in each one. By the time he reaches day three, the dough is producing complex structures resembling spiderwebs. It's impressive to see, and not something you expect in traditional pizza.
A New York-style pepperoni pizza being sliced at Danny Boy's Famous Original Pizza in Westwood.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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He said part of the reason long-fermented New York-style pizza isn't more common is not a cooking issue; instead, it involves real estate. In New York, space is much more scarce, and access to large refrigeration areas is a challenge.
In less-cramped Los Angeles, Holzman was able to experiment before honing in on his now trademark style.
" We use the same ingredients and method that we would use in New York," he said. "Ultimately, we concluded that fermentation would be one thing we would extend."
Easier on the body
A little further down the road in Historic Filipinotown is Grá ('love' in Gaelic), founded by owner Michael McSharry. He's originally from Ireland, but was living in London, working in advertising, when he discovered he had a gluten intolerance.
" At that point, I had to stop eating pizza, bread, stop drinking beer, and all those kinds of carbs," he said.
But when he tried sourdough pizza, he discovered he could eat it and still feel OK.
Michael McSharry, the founder of Grá, during the fermentation process for his sourdough pizza.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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Michael McSharry of Grá turns his sough dough starter.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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While it's a bit of a grey area, scientifically speaking, it seems that some people with a gluten intolerance can eat sourdough bread. The long fermentation is theorized to help break down the gluten, making it easier to consume.
Fast-forward almost a decade to Los Angeles, where McSharry decided to open a restaurant focusing on sourdough pizza, natural wine and fermented foods.
McSharry described it as "food that not only tastes good, but nourishes the soul." He wanted his pizza to be as healthy as possible, which is where fermentation comes in.
As he prepared to finalize his menu for Grá, McSharry planned a last-minute trip to the famed Irish cooking school Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork. There, he studied under celebrity chef Darina Allen for a weekend course about fermentation.
Upon completing the course, he was given a sourdough starter as a parting gift, which he brought back to Los Angeles.
McSharry explains that his fermentation program at Grá takes approximately 40 hours, with the dough assembled in the morning and used for the following evening during their dinner service.
The dough is made from whole grain and 00 flour (a very finely milled Italian flour used in pizza and pasta).
" It took me a while to dial in the recipe, or should I say the principles behind the processes that exist within the pizza we have today", McSharry said.
In great detail, McSharry described all the elements of the process to get his sourdough just right, from the proofing stage to the temperature of the water and the oven. He recounted working 8-10 hours daily for over six months in his apartment before the restaurant opened, tweaking each element to achieve his desired result.
The Banger pizza at Grá made with tomato sauce, mozzarella, salami, ‘nduja, fermented mustard seeds, honey & basil
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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Diners sit for dinner service inside of Grá
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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After locking in his dough recipe, McSharry and his team decided to fire the pizza at 750 degrees inside a wood-burning oven.
" It's another element to this very natural process. So you're working with Mother Nature in the fermentation and then with Mother Nature with real fire, and it's exciting," McSharry added.
The sourdough pizza at Gra isn't particularly sour in flavor. Instead, it takes on a soft and chewy texture, similar to a Neapolitan-style pizza. This format works well with various topping combinations on the menu, as is the case with a couple of house favorites, such as The Banger ($27), made with salami, nduja, fermented mustard seeds, and honey, and their Kimchi Pizza ($27), which contains tomato kimchi sauce, gouda, buffalo mozzarella, green onions, and sesame seeds.
The punch of flavor and freshness brings home precisely what McSharry aims to achieve.
By including other fermented foods — kimchi and fermented mustard seeds — McSharry hopes to extend the notion that the natural process can be applied to different foods, not just sourdough.
While he runs a business, he believes fermented foods are an extension of a more global way of thinking.
" One of our main focuses is having good working relationships with the farmers and doing our little bit to save the planet, like with upcycling," McSharry said. "This is an important characteristic of maximizing the return."
Good Boy and Friends bring back their annual wine and food fest for the fifth year.
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Courtesy Good Boy and Friends
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In this edition:
A wine and food festival, the NYC ballet is here, CicLAvia heads to Leimert Park and more of the best things to do this weekend.
Highlights:
The New York City Ballet is here for just a few days, so don’t miss their first L.A. performance in more than 20 years. The programs feature classic pieces from George Balanchine and New York City Ballet Co-Founding Choreographer Jerome Robbins, plus more contemporary works by Ulysses Dove, Justin Peck, Tiler Peck, Gianna Reisen and Christopher Wheeldon.
Sunday is a big day in Leimert Park! Head to the heart of the newly designated Historic South L.A. Black Cultural District for both the 16th Annual Day of the Ancestors: Festival of Masks and the car-free CicLAviathat will run from Leimert Park to Expo Park down Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Good Boy and Friends are back for their fifth year — this time in a bigger venue — for their “new-school wine and food fest.” More than 60 wineries; favorite restaurants like LaSorted’s, Mr. Jong and Canyon Coffee; art galleries; DJs and more will be on hand with good eats, good tastes, space to dance and more. Plus, this year also features a non-alcoholic ticket with pours from a variety of NA vendors!
I wanted to give you a heads-up about one low-cost event and a free perk to get on top of as we barrel into summer. The first is snagging tickets to the quite eclectic lineup happening at the America 250 concert at the Coliseum on July 4. Tickets, which benefit Giving 4th, are just $17.76 (natch). The show features performances from Chris Stapleton and The Smashing Pumpkins, and is hosted by Queen Latifah.
If you’d rather get away from the crowds, make sure to secure your free California State Parks Pass before July 6.
Licorice Pizza has your music picks for the weekend, starting with Kid Cudi and Big Boi at the Crypto.com Arena, Natalia Lafourcade at the Dolby, Gia Margaret at Sid The Cat, Sekou at the Troubadour, electroclash veteran Green Velvet at Exchange L.A., and if you feel like getting sexed up, Color Me Badd at Stage Red in Fontana — all on Friday.
Saturday A$AP Rocky is at the Forum; Kaleo and Dawes are at the Novo; Dillstradamus (aka Dillon Francis and Flosstradamus) play the Palladium; Pomplamoose is at Pacific Electric; “Summer of Soul” with Jeffrey Osborne, Sheila E. and more is at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts; and the Freestyle Festival with Lisa Lisa, Stevie B and more is at the Toyota Arena.
Finally, there’s “A Roots Picnic Experience: A Great Night in Hip-Hop,” with the Roots and all-stars like Nas, T.I., Bun B and De La Soul at the Hollywood Bowl.
Through Sunday, June 28 Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 N. Grand Ave., Downtown L.A. COST: FROM $44; MORE INFO
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Courtesy The Music Center
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What a treat. The New York City Ballet is here for just a few days, so don’t miss their first L.A. performance in more than 20 years. There are two different programs, featuring classic pieces from George Balanchine and New York City Ballet Co-Founding Choreographer Jerome Robbins, plus more contemporary works by Ulysses Dove, Justin Peck, Tiler Peck, Gianna Reisen and Christopher Wheeldon. The programs feature recorded music and live performances by the New York City Ballet Orchestra.
16th Annual Day of the Ancestors: Festival of Masks
Sunday, June 28, 12 p.m. 4343 Leimert Blvd., Leimert Park COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Sunday is a big day in Leimert Park! Head to the heart of the newly designated Historic South L.A. Black Cultural District for both the 16th Annual Day of the Ancestors: Festival of Masks and the car-free CicLAvia that will run from Leimert Park to Expo Park down Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. The Festival of Masks features a libation ceremony and procession, plus dance and musical performances. CicLAvia has meetup hubs for the neighborhood (come say hi to LAist staff at the Leimert Park hub!), water stations, and much more. Check out local neighborhood gems on the map and explore Leimert Park this weekend.
QWERTY: A Typewriter Festival
Saturday, June 27, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The International Printing Museum 315 West Torrance Blvd., Carson COST: $12; MORE INFO
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Laura Rivera
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Unsplash
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Clickity clack, it’s time for the QWERTY Typewriter Festival. Did you know that Carson is home to the International Printing Museum? A must-visit for all the writerly nerds among us, myself included. And also Tom Hanks. It’s National Typewriter Day, and the museum is celebrating with a Type-In, where you can type on vintage typewriters, write your own story, see unusual typewriters and maybe even take home your own analog writing device.
Good Boy and Friends wine and food fest
Saturday, June 27, 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Francois Ghebaly + Night Gallery Campus 2288-2308 E. 16th St., Arts District COST: FROM $35; MORE INFO
Good Boy and Friends are back for their fifth year — this time in a bigger venue — for their “new-school wine and food fest.” More than 60 wineries; favorite restaurants like LaSorted’s, Mr. Jong and Canyon Coffee; art galleries; DJs and more will be on hand with good eats, good tastes, space to dance and more. Plus, this year also features a non-alcoholic ticket with pours from a variety of NA vendors, not just water and Diet Coke for the designated drivers, and a special (free, ticketed) dog area so you can bring your pup.
Culver City Rock and Mineral: Fiesta of Gems Show
Saturday and Sunday, June 27 and 28 Veterans Memorial Auditorium 4117 Overland Ave., Culver City COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Dan Farrell
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Unsplash
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I had no idea people liked rocks so much until I went to the Joshua Tree Rock and Gem show with a rockhound friend and learned that some people REALLY like rocks. If that’s you, head to the free Culver City Fiesta of Gems show and find your next rare wavellite or blue cap tourmaline.
Chef Sheldon Simeon x LaSorted’s
Friday, June 26, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. La Sorted’s 984 N. Broadway, Chinatown COST: FROM $7; MORE INFO
Grab the latest collab pie at LaSorted’s Chinatown location, “The Loco Moco” from the legendary Chef Sheldon Simeon (@chefwonder). A Top Chef fan-favorite, owner of Tin Roof and “culinary ambassador of Maui,” Sheldon will be on hand for a one-night-only ticketed party to celebrate his new cookbook, Ohana Style. Seven dollars gets you a slice, $25 gets you a pie, $40 gets you a slice and the book.
GenX Storytelling Series: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Sunday, June 28, 4:30 p.m. The Wicked Wolf 2332 Pacific Ave., Long Beach COST: $5; MORE INFO
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Courtesy The Wicked Wolf
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Share your best story about ditching school at this storytelling event celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 1986 classic, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Hosted by Jamie Sims Coakley, the series will feature other favorite GenX movies with themed sharing (or oversharing as the case may be!) throughout the summer, including favorite concert stories (Spinal Tap, July 19) and favorite summer romances (Dirty Dancing, August 16).
Aaron Schrank
has been on the ground, reporting on homelessness and other issues in L.A. for more than a decade.
Published June 25, 2026 5:00 AM
L.A. County Department of Health Services EMT Christopher Phan distributes naloxone along Aetna Street in Van Nuys in March 2022.
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Christina House
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Getty Images
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Topline:
Drug overdose deaths in Los Angeles County dropped 6% in 2025 and have fallen nearly 30% since peaking in 2022, according to a report the Department of Public Health released Thursday.
The trend: In L.A. County, the drug overdose crisis claimed 2,298 lives last year, with methamphetamine and fentanyl continuing to drive most of those deaths. Drug overdose deaths peaked in L.A. County in 2022, with 3,220 deaths (or 30.8 per 100,000 population.) They’ve declined in the three years since: down by 3% in 2023, 22% in 2024, and 6% last year, according to the L.A. County Department of Public Health. The county’s progress tracks just behind a larger national trend. Across the U.S., overdose deaths dropped about 35% from their 2022 peak of 107,941 to an estimated 69,973 in 2025, according to the CDC.
Fentanyl: Fentanyl was a factor in 49% of the county's overdose deaths in 2025, down from 64% two years earlier. The 1,135 fentanyl-related deaths recorded last year marked a 10% decline from 2024. Fentanyl's recent decline follows a steep climb. Accidental fentanyl overdose and poisoning deaths in L.A. County rose from about 100 in 2016 to more than 2,000 in 2023, according to county data reports.
Methamphetamine: Methamphetamine remained involved in roughly 61% of the county's overdose deaths in recent years. The synthetic stimulant contributed to 1,405 deaths in 2025, down 7% from the previous year.
Read on ... for more what's driving the decline.
Drug overdose deaths in Los Angeles County dropped 6% in 2025 and have fallen nearly 30% since peaking in 2022, according to a report the Department of Public Health released Thursday.
L.A. County health officials said the recent trend shows county-funded substance abuse programs are working.
“Three consecutive years of fewer overdose deaths in L.A. County is proof that sustained investments in prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery services saves lives,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of the county’s Department of Public Health.
The county’s progress tracks just behind a larger national trend. Across the U.S., overdose deaths dropped about 35% from their 2022 peak of 107,941 to an estimated 69,973 in 2025, according to the CDC.
The CDC credits a number of factors for the nationwide decline in drug-related deaths, including the distribution of naloxone — a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses — improved access to treatment and decreases in drug potency due to shifts in the illegal drug supply.
In L.A. County, the drug overdose crisis claimed 2,298 lives last year, with methamphetamine and fentanyl continuing to drive most of those deaths.
Fentanyl's role is major but shrinking. The synthetic opioid was a factor in 49% of the county's overdose deaths in 2025, down from 64% two years earlier. The 1,135 fentanyl-related deaths recorded last year marked a 10% decline from 2024.
Methamphetamine remained involved in roughly 61% of the county's overdose deaths in recent years. The synthetic stimulant contributed to 1,405 deaths in 2025, down 7% from the previous year.
L.A. County’s overdose strategy leans heavily on “harm reduction” — a public health approach that treats addiction as a health condition and focuses on keeping drug users alive rather than requiring abstinence. That includes distributing naloxone, fentanyl test strips and clean smoking supplies.
But aspects of the harm reduction approach have come under fire from the Trump administration, which argues they enable illegal drug use. In April, federal officials barred grant money from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) from paying for syringes, pipes or fentanyl test strips.
By the numbers
Drug overdose has been the leading cause of accidental deaths in Los Angeles County since 2017, when drug deaths outpaced those from motor vehicles and guns.
Drug overdose deaths peaked in L.A. County in 2022, with 3,220 deaths (or 30.8 per 100,000 population.)
They’ve declined in the three years since: down by 3% in 2023, 22% in 2024, and 6% last year, according to the L.A. County Department of Public Health. That decline mirrors a trend seen across the country over the same period.
Fentanyl's recent decline follows a steep climb. Accidental fentanyl overdose and poisoning deaths in L.A. County rose from about 100 in 2016 to more than 2,000 in 2023, according to county data reports.
In 2022 and 2023, fentanyl surpassed methamphetamine as the most common drug listed as a cause of death in county medical examiner records. That trend began to reverse in 2024, when fentanyl overdose deaths fell 37%.
Disproportionate risks
L.A. County’s overdose crisis hits some communities harder than others. L.A. County neighborhoods where more than 30% of families live below the federal poverty level had overdose death rates nearly five times that of areas where less than 10% live below poverty level.
That disparity has increased steadily over the past decade. In 2016, the rate of overdose death was 1.6 times greater in poorer areas, compared to more affluent ones.
Black Angelenos disproportionately die of drug overdose. According to the county data, Black residents make up 7% of L.A. County’s population but accounted for 22% of drug overdose deaths last year.
Drug overdose remains the leading cause of death among L.A. County’s more than 72,000 unhoused residents, who are 46 times more likely to die from overdose than the general population, according to a separate recent county report.
In 2024, unhoused Angelenos accounted for 36% of all drug overdose fatalities in L.A. County.
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Suzanne Levy
is a senior editor on the Explore LA team, where she oversees food, LA Explained and other feature stories.
Published June 25, 2026 5:00 AM
A dish at Kato in DTLA, which was awarded its second Michelin star.
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Colleen O'Brien
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Courtesy Michelin Guide
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Topline:
Five L.A. restaurants were awarded their first Michelin star Wednesday night at a ceremony in San Diego. Another restaurant, Kato in DTLA, was promoted to two stars, while four others were honored with the Bib Gourmand award, which recognizes eateries for "great food at a great value."
One star winners: Corridor 109 (Melrose Hill) Kojima (Sawtelle) Lielle (Pico Robertson) Miura (Beverly Hills) Seline (Santa Monica).
Two star winner: Kato (DTLA)
Bib Gourmand winners: Lapaba (Koreatown) Little Fish (Melrose Hill) Lugy'ah (West Adams) Lynx (Arts District)
Get your reservations in quick, they may be hard to come by in the weeks to come!
OC grand jury cites LAist reporting in reform push
Nick Gerda
is an accountability reporter who has covered local government in Southern California for more than a decade.
Published June 25, 2026 5:00 AM
Shari Freidenrich, Orange County's treasurer-tax collector, speaks at an event in 2022. Freidenrich was the subject of one of two county HR investigations cited in a recent O.C. grand jury report calling for reforms that would allow elected officials to be ousted for misconduct.
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Screenshot of City of Newport Beach video posted to YouTube
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Topline:
Citing LAist’s unearthing of misconduct findings about top elected officials, Orange County’s grand jury is urging reforms that would allow elected officials to more easily be removed from office for misconduct. The panel also recommended mandating regular audits or performance reviews of elected officials in a grand jury report released this month.
Why: Grand jurors pointed to two formerly confidential county HR investigations LAist brought to light last year through public records requests. One found O.C. assessor Claude Parrish violated gender discrimination and retaliation policies and harassed a subordinate over her medical disability. The other found O.C. treasurer-tax collector Shari Freidenrich threw office keys at a subordinate out of anger, likely violating workplace violence policies.
Key quote: “These episodes underscore a structural reality: Even when serious misconduct is documented, the board has no substantive authority to take corrective action, discipline an elected official, or remove them from office,” the panel continued.
Opposition to the idea: Two O.C. supervisors tell LAist they oppose letting supervisors remove other elected officials — warning it could be used for political retaliation. “That is the job of the voters,” Supervisor Katrina Foley said. That power, she added, would “definitely will get abused.”
Citing LAist’s unearthing of misconduct findings about top elected officials, Orange County’s grand jury is urging reforms that would allow elected officials to more easily be removed from office for misconduct.
The panel also recommended mandating regular audits or performance reviews of elected officials, in a report released this month.
Grand jurors pointed to two formerly confidential county HR investigations LAist brought to light last year through public records requests.
One found O.C. assessor Claude Parrish violated gender discrimination and retaliation policies and harassed a subordinate over her medical disability. The other found O.C. treasurer-tax collector Shari Freidenrich threw office keys at a subordinate out of anger, likely violating workplace violence policies. A secretary who witnessed it quit her job the same day as a result, the county investigation found.
Orange County Assessor Claude Parrish speaks at a county Board of Supervisors meeting in March 2023.
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Screenshot of county meeting video
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“The public, and in some cases even individual [county] supervisors, did not learn the full details until media outlets obtained the reports through public records requests,” the grand jury wrote.
“These episodes underscore a structural reality: Even when serious misconduct is documented, the board has no substantive authority to take corrective action, discipline an elected official or remove them from office,” the panel continued.
“Without meaningful measures for intervention, problems can persist unchecked, leaving the county vulnerable to operational failures, ethical breaches and the erosion of public trust,” the report states, adding that independently elected offices act with “impunity.”
Parrish and Freidenrich both were re-elected by wide margins in this month’s primary. Their seats typically draw little attention during re-elections, where they appear on ballots as the incumbent.
Under current law, elected officials can only be removed if they’re convicted of a crime involving their official duties, are recalled by voters or vacate their office, the grand jury wrote.
What the grand jury wants to happen
The grand jurors recommended supervisors put key reforms on the ballot for voters to change county law. Those reforms, if passed, would let the Board of Supervisors:
Remove an elected official for cause by a four-fifths vote
Convert an elected office to an appointed position
Merge two elected offices — like assessor and clerk‑recorder — into one elected position
For the removal recommendation, they pointed to existing laws in San Bernardino and San Mateo counties. Last year, San Mateo County voters “approved a charter amendment authorizing their Board of Supervisors to remove the elected sheriff for cause by a four-fifths vote,” the grand jury wrote. Removing the sheriff “requires notice, investigation, a hearing and formal findings,” the report states.
The grand jury also suggested that county supervisors:
Adopt a policy requiring regular audits or performance reviews of elected officials
Implement more robust public reporting of audits into departments under elected officials
Publicly report actions taken to correct problems that have been found under elected offices
‘Why do we need to elect a clerk-recorder?’
Mike Moodian, a public policy professor at Chapman University, says it could make sense to have the lesser-known countywide elected positions — assessor, treasurer-tax collector and clerk-recorder — be appointed rather than elected.
Most voters, he said, are not aware of the candidates and tend to elect incumbents in a landslide vote. He wonders if the public would be better served if those positions were instead appointed positions selected and overseen by higher-profile elected officials — like county supervisors — who are more visible and, thus, accountable to voters, he said.
“ Why do we need to elect a clerk-recorder?” Moodian said.
As for removal powers, Moodian said it’s a thorny issue. It could provide accountability, but it could also become fraught if four of five county supervisors want to wrongfully remove a colleague for political reasons.
“It's a classic governance dilemma,” he said. “How do you preserve democratic independence [of elected officials], but also how do you ensure accountability when something goes wrong?”
“If serious misconduct or mismanagement occurs, do voters have to wait years for the next election? Because let's face it, the recall process — that can be very costly and ... very difficult.”
What comes next
Ultimately, it will be up to county supervisors to decide whether to put removal powers on the ballot, unless citizens gather signatures from 95,694 registered O.C. voters.
By law, the supervisors will have to issue a public response to the grand jury report, describing whether or not they’ll implement the recommendations.
LAist contacted all five county supervisors for comment on the recommendations. Two got back.
Supervisor Katrina Foley said she doesn’t support allowing elected officials to remove other elected officials — pointing to existing provisions that remove elected officials convicted of crimes in office.
“Short of removing budgetary authority or having more oversight and monitoring, I don't think that elected officials should be given the power to remove other elected officials. That is the job of the voters,” Foley said.
Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Aug. 27, 2024.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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That power should not be given to elected officials, she added, because it “definitely will get abused.”
The audit and performance evaluation suggestion is also problematic, she added, because having subordinates of elected officials evaluate their bosses would be fraught because they wouldn’t want to risk losing their job.
“How are you gonna have an objective evaluation?,” she asked. “I just don't see that working in elected spaces.”
In a statement, Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento said he shares the grand jury’s “concern regarding misconduct in office and the ability to provide the Board with additional levers needed to address misconduct by elected officials.”
“Unfortunately, the recommendation to give the Board of Supervisors authority to remove an elected official can undermine the will of the voters and may open the door for politically motivated removals and abuse,” he added.
Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Aug. 27, 2024.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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Through a spokesperson, he declined to say what additional levers he believes the board should have to address elected official misconduct.
The other three supervisors — Doug Chaffee, Don Wagner and Janet Nguyen — didn’t respond to messages for comment.
“Taken together, these episodes form a collection of political missteps that amount to a documented pattern of governance failure. Orange County’s history shows that unethical behavior and corruption are neither rare nor random, but cyclical,” the grand jury wrote.
“Each decade brings a new set of names, but the underlying dynamics remain stubbornly the same,” the jurors added.
“When institutions lack durable safeguards, the electorate suffers the consequences. Government integrity cannot depend on the character of individual elected officials alone,” the report continues.
“It requires systematic guardrails, meaningful checks and balances, independent oversight bodies with real authority, institutional transparency, financial controls, enforceable ethics standards, and active citizen engagement through the ballot box.”
What is a grand jury?
Under state law, each county has grand juries that decide whether to indict defendants in criminal cases and conduct civil watchdog investigations of local government agencies.
The civil grand jury duties include ensuring local governments are governed honestly and efficiently and that tax dollars are managed efficiently.
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In most California counties, there are separate grand juries for criminal matters and civil watchdog reviews.
In Orange County, both are combined into a single grand jury that serves for one year at a time, from the beginning of July to the end of the following June. Orange County’s grand jury has 19 members and several alternates who can step in if someone leaves.
The selection process starts with a committee of O.C. Superior Court judges reviewing applications and selecting about 90 people for further consideration. Those deemed qualified are invited to an interview before the committee, and those who advance undergo a background investigation by the Sheriff’s Department. The list is narrowed to 25 to 30 finalists, then 19 members of the grand jury are selected by lottery. The other finalists become the alternates.
Under compensation set by the Board of Supervisors, grand jurors are paid $50 per day plus reimbursement for miles driven.
Federal courts also have grand juries, which are separate from county grand juries and only handle criminal matters.
