The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion on Tuesday, July 9 introduced by Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn to reform Los Angeles County government by expanding the board to nine supervisors and to establish an office of County Executive to be elected directly by voters.

The Charter Reform Initiative would appear on Los Angeles County ballots in the 2024 November election.

If approved by voters the initiative would expand the current five-member board of supervisors to nine supervisors following the 2030 decennial census and reapportionment process. The reform initiative also includes the establishment of an ethics commission.

The board voted 3-0 to approve the reform initiative, with two abstentions. Supervisors Lindsey Horvath, Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis voted in favor, while Holly Mitchell and Kathryn Barger abstained.

To view the motion in its entirety click here.

Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger who represented the Santa clarita Valley, among other areas in L.A. County, issued the following statement on the motion voted upon by the board:

“This reform proposal isn’t a panacea. Whether our board stays at five members or grows to nine or more, our elected body has a responsibility to lead responsibly, effectively, and transparently. Bigger government doesn’t necessarily mean better government—but the matter will be in the public’s hands so they can decide that for themselves come November.

I will say that, regardless of size, our board’s decisions repeatedly get stuck in bureaucracy and an unwillingness to make tough decisions.

A prime example is Men’s Central Jail. Despite our board’s unanimous vote to close it, we’re nowhere closer to shuttering its doors than we were 12 years ago. This is because there is a lack of political will to approve a plan to securely rehabilitate incarcerated individuals who cannot be legally diverted despite several studies that have all concluded that is the path forward.

I believe we should concentrate on improving the transparency of our decision making. The votes and directives issued by our Board of Supervisors are largely personality driven instead of being guided by process, expert input and transparency. I wholeheartedly support creating an Ethics Commission now, so we can immediately tackle improving both transparency and board accountability. I will introduce a motion at our next regular Board meeting to accomplish that. If we’re serious about reforms, let’s enact those now. There’s no need to wait.”