Charter amendments will not be drafted to created an Elected Executive, expand the Board of Supervisors, require an Ethics Commission, and more

July 9, 2024

Los Angeles, CA – In a historic action, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the most comprehensive governance and ethics reform package for Los Angeles County in over 100 years. Chair Lindsey P. Horvath and Supervisor Janice Hahn’s proposal to create an elected County Executive; expand the Board of Supervisors from five to nine; and establish common-sense ethics reforms will now be drafted as an ordinance to amend the Los Angeles County Charter.

“Los Angeles County communities are one step closer to having a more representative, transparent, and accountable government—positioning the County to more effectively deliver the services and outcomes our residents deserve,” said Chair Lindsey P. Horvath. “These changes, which will be implemented with no additional cost to taxpayers, will ultimately be decided by voters this November.”

Supervisor Janice Hahn, the motion’s co-author, continues the legacy of her father, the Honorable Kenneth Hahn, by supporting Board expansion. In 1972, then Second District Supervisor Hahn, asked his fellow Board colleagues to support adding seats to the Board to create districts with one million constituents. Today, each Supervisor serves more than two million.

“The reforms that Supervisor Horvath and I are proposing are big—but they are not radical—and they have been studied for decades, dating back to the days my father was in office,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “The time for change has come and we are seizing this opportunity to give voters the chance to vote to make LA County government more representative, more transparent, and more accountable.”

Beyond the three key pillars of the proposal, additional reforms include establishing a commission to review the County Charter every ten years; creating a Director of Budget and Management and a County Legislative Analyst; requiring departments to present their annual budget in open hearings; creating a task force to oversee reform implementation; and that all changes come at no additional costs to or taxes imposed on taxpayers to implement.

With Board approval, County Counsel will now draft an ordinance to amend the Los Angeles County Charter, which was adopted in 1912 when the population was 500,000. The ordinance will return to the Board later this month for first reading. If approved after a second reading before August 9, the proposal will be put to voters on November 5, 2024 through a charter amendment ballot measure.

Nearly nine in ten voters think the Los Angeles County government requires reform. To learn more about voter sentiment, read this voter survey summary.

More Information

Read the governance reform motion >
Press release announcing motion and community support >
Chair Horvath remarks >
Governance reform fact sheet >

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