The structure of Los Angeles County’s government has remained mostly unchanged since 1912, when voters approved a new charter.

Back then, the population of L.A. County was roughly 500,000. Today, L.A. County has a population close to 10 million — it’s the most populous county in the U.S. That’s just one reason, according to some authorities, that the changes are long overdue.

Enter: Measure G.

Official title on the November ballot: Los Angeles County Government Structure, Ethics And Accountability Charter Amendment

Understanding Measure G

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is a government body that oversees about 10 million residents. That means each supervisor now has a constituency of about two million people.

The supervisors handle many responsibilities, including setting policy for public health, social services, jails and transportation.

If passed, Measure G would increase the number of supervisors who sit on the board from five to nine. Supporters say making the board larger would make it more responsive to and representative of L.A. County by entrusting each supervisor with smaller geographic areas and fewer people.

Cram session

During AirTalk's Ballot Cram Session live event, Larry Mantle talked with Caltech's Michael Alvarez, Pomona College's Sara Sadhwani and Claremont McKenna College's Zachary Courser about Measure G.

What else would the measure change?

In addition to increasing the size of the Board of Supervisors, the measure — if it passes — would make the county CEO an elected position, sort of like a mayor, instead of one appointed by the board members.

It would also create an independent ethics commission that would increase restrictions on lobbying and investigate misconduct.

And it would create a non-partisan legislative analyst's position to review proposed county legislation. The city and state have similar positions.

What do the supervisors and the county CEO do?

The L.A. County supervisors are some of the most powerful local government officials in the country. The roughly 10 million residents they represent is a number that exceeds the population of most U.S. states.

The Board of Supervisors can pass local laws with a three-fifths vote, Unlike at the city level, where the elected mayor can veto a law passed by the city council, the county CEO cannot veto a Board of Supervisors decision.

County supervisors are paid a little more than $232,000 a year.

The chief executive officer works under the direction of the Board of Supervisors to manage the county’s day-to-day operations and carry out its policies and initiatives. The CEO manages multiple county functions, including social services, public health, and fire services.

The current CEO makes more than $566,000 annually.

What do supporters say?

A Yes on G website claims the measure is backed by “a wide coalition of community leaders and organizations, labor unions, civil rights groups, and elected and local governments.”

L.A. County Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn proposed the reform measure. They have called the county “an anomaly,” given that it has five board members representing such an enormous population. (By contrast, San Francisco, which has a population of 875,000, has an 11-member board. Cook County, Illinois, which includes Chicago, has a 17-member commission for a population of 5.2 million.)

Horvath and Hahn have said county residents “suffer deficits of representation and accountability.” Horvath has also said that expanding the board would put "more power into the hands of the community.”

What do opponents say?

In July, Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Holly Mitchell abstained from a vote to place the measure on the November ballot.

Barger has expressed concern about politicizing the CEO position by making it elected one. She has said she believes the person who runs the daily operations of the county should be “non-partisan, unbiased.”

Mitchell has expressed concerns about what passing the measure would cost the county.

Potential financial impact

Supporters of the measure say there would not be any additional cost to taxpayers to implement the reforms. The language of the measure requires that only existing county funding sources be used.

The county budget is $46 billion.

County's Auditor-Controller Oscar Valdez said in a fiscal impact statement that Measure G would "likely result in additional future costs" in two categories: implementation of the charter amendment and ongoing costs for the new positions and offices it creates.

Accomplishing the latter could require reallocating funds from existing programs and saving money on other operating costs. Overall, Valdez said, one-time costs are estimated at $8 million or more.

Ongoing costs, including salaries and benefits for the newly-created positions, can't be estimated now, Valdez said in the statement because those changes aren't likely to begin until 2030. The statement notes that "policymakers will determine the mix of new and existing funding sources to pay for ongoing operating costs, as well as the impact on the operations and finances of othr County functions/programs."

Listen in: Measure G discussed on AirTalk

The initiative was discussed over the course of two shows:

Go deeper

Unpacking the impact of Los Angeles County's ballot measures

Why proposal to expand the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is such a big deal

Measure to expand the LA County Board of Supervisors heads to the ballot. Here's what you should know

Before you read more, we wanted to take a moment to tell you about our mission here at LAist, and why we're so dedicated to helping you get ready to vote.

In the lead-up to this important election, our hard-working reporters and editors spent hundreds and hundreds of hours researching and writing these detailed guides and fact-based resources. We invested that time because we're here to help you vote confidently and make your community a better place.

But we cannot do this essential work without your help. We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

At a time when the need for local journalism has never been greater, many newsrooms are facing cutbacks, including LAist. Member support — your support — is what will sustain a free press in Southern California.

LAist’s mission is to be here for you, so please be here for us now with a donation to power our trusted local reporting. Step up right now and make the choice to give. Because that’s exactly what it is — a choice. It's choice with consequences. If readers do not choose to step up and donate, the future of fact-based news in Southern California will not be as strong.

No matter what happens in the world, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust.

Thank you for your generous support.

Sincerely,

• 

  Megan Garvey

  Executive Editor

  (she/her)

Chip in now to fund your local journalism

Continue

Monthly Donation One-Time Donation

$5/mo

$10/mo

$15/mo

$20/mo

$60

$120

$180

$240

Continue

(

LAist

)

This voter guide originally published Sept. 30.