Supporters of Measure G declared victory this week, eking out a win with roughly 51% support. While the Los Angeles County charter changes didn't get as much attention as other high-profile measures on the ballot, make no mistake: This wonky governance reform package may be the most transformative decision county voters have made in decades.
By 2026, the county will for the first time have an ethics commission to regulate conflicts of interest and lobbying and investigate misconduct by elected officials and county employees. This is long overdue for a government with a $45-billion budget and 100,000 employees.
An independently elected chief executive who can manage departments and make decisions will be clearly accountable to the public. That should motivate progress on long-standing needs such as closing the dangerously decrepit Men’s Central Jail and diverting qualified inmates to rehabilitation facilities.
And in 2032, nine members will be elected to the Board of Supervisors, which should allow for more representation of the county's geography, providing a better structure for county governance.
Collection
[
|
...
]