Proposed ballot measure would nearly double LA County's Board of Supervisors. That's gone unchanged since 1912

Two members of the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors on Wednesday proposed sweeping reforms that could end up on the November ballot.

The proposals include expanding the size of the board from five to nine, making the county CEO an elected position, and creating an independent ethics commission.

Where things stand today

The Board of Supervisors is a powerful panel that controls the county’s $45.6 billion budget.

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Right now, each supervisor represents about 2 million people — more than members of Congress and more than some U.S. senators. The county charter that established the five-member board was created in 1912, when the population was about 500,000.

Changing the size of the board would require a vote of the people.

Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn, who introduced the proposal at a morning news conference outside the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, said they want their colleagues to place the measure on the November ballot.

"Our residents deserve a seat at the table and to have more of the business of the county done in the daylight," Horvath said.

"We cannot let another 100 years go by," the supervisor continued. "We have to ensure the structure of the county meets the needs of today and can be equipped for the challenges of the future."

Under the proposal, the expansion would begin after the 2030 U.S. Census.

• Learn more about the history and duties of L.A. County's supervisors

Other reforms proposed

Horvath and Hahn are proposing two other reform measures.

One would make the county CEO an elected position by 2028. Currently, the board appoints the CEO. Hahn said the switch would make the government more balanced and accountable to the public.

"We believe that an elected county executive responsible to the people will look at the county of Los Angeles as a whole," she said, "Decisions [need] to be made that are best for the county, not necessarily just for one supervisor."

The other reform would create an ethics commission by 2026 that's similar to one in the city of L.A.

Among the duties, the commission would be charged with investigating allegations of misconduct by county officials and the creation of a publicly searchable lobbyist database.

If the reforms go to voters, a governance reform task force will develop the details, such as if supervisors' pay would be slashed and how staffing may change. Costs shouldn't increase, though.

"We're not raising the taxes to pay for this government reform," Hahn said. "That's the message."

Why it matters

The Board of Supervisors plays a big role in how the county operates. It controls the budgets of all county departments, including the sheriff, the Department of Social Services, and Department of Children and Family Services. It also oversees public health, the fire department and animal control.

The idea of expanding the board is not a new one. Some community activists have long criticized the board as being too small for a county of 10 million people. Expanding the panel could make it more diverse. Right now, the all-woman board includes three white people, one Black person, and one Latina.

L.A. County is nearly half Latino and almost 15% Asian Pacific Islander.

"We've talked to voters, and they overwhelmingly support expanding the Board in this moment," Hahn said at the news conference. "They see a bigger board, not as bigger government, but as closer government, more accessible government, more representative government."

A proposal to increase the size of the L.A. City Council has languished for more than a year.

How to attend board meetings

The best way to keep tabs on your own local government is by attending public meetings. Here are a few tips to get you started.

• Find L.A. County agendas and meeting dates

Location: Kenneth Hahn Hall Of Administration, 500 West Temple Street Los Angeles

• • Learn the jargon: Closed session, consent calendars and more! We have definitions for commonly used terms here.
  • How to give public comment: Every public meeting allows community members to give comment, whether or not it’s about something on the agenda. The meeting agenda will have specific instructions for giving public comment. Review more details here.