As I pick up the gavel and assume my role as Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for this next year, I look ahead with determination and hope for what we will accomplish. I’ll be uplifting two core values: safety and unity. My leadership will focus on galvanizing efforts to ensure our communities have access to the support they need to feel secure.

Safety means helping people on our streets access supportive services and interim housing. Safety means ensuring our foster youth have the tools they need to age out of our system successfully into adulthood. Safety means investing in our health and mental health systems to provide compassionate care to those who depend on us. Safety also means supporting our public safety agencies to make sure our neighborhoods and businesses are protected.

Last time I took the gavel, a global pandemic became the focus of our lives. When I assumed my role as Chair five years ago, I didn’t know what was ahead. The most valuable lesson I learned from that experience was that the only way our communities would get through it was together. Last time I was at the helm, I steadied the ship. It was an undeniably turbulent time, and I stand ready to do it again.

Now, five years later, with more experience under our belts, we know that we can take on even the hardest challenges. None of us know exactly what this next year will hold. But, here’s what I will say with certainty: The County of Los Angeles remains a strong and stable safety net for our communities.

Together, I truly believe we can make Los Angeles County safer, stronger, and more unified in 2025.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger represents the Fifth Supervisorial District of Los Angeles County which is home to nearly two million people. The district covers 2,785.21 square miles and touches the Ventura, Kern and San Bernardino County lines. The Fifth Supervisorial District includes portions of 20 cities, including Santa Clarita, 63 unincorporated communities and 15 neighborhoods in the city of Los Angeles.