Let’s compare how the City and County of Los Angeles have carried out government reforms recently.
In less than a week, county supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn unveiled a sweeping plan to expand their five-member board to nine, add an independent county executive and create a new ethics commission to investigate government misconduct — and the board of supervisors agreed to move forward with the amendment on the November ballot.
In just a few months, voters can reform Los Angeles County’s bureaucratic and disorganized government and make it more responsive to residents.
At the Los Angeles City Hall, it’s been more than a year and a half since City Council members promised sweeping changes to government after the latest scandal. But they included only a handful of amendments on the November ballot, delaying bigger changes like expanding the number of councils.
In November, voters will be asked to approve an independent redistricting commission similar to those in the state and county, so that City Council members cannot choose from their own districts. They will also gain water given a version of moral reform that is not lacking in the recommendations of experts and academics.
More serious changes, including a proposal to expand the City Council, were presented to the charter reform commission. The commission makes recommendations on the size and powers of future councils, including other governance changes. But the City Council will decide which, if any, will be on the 2026 ballot.
While City Council members worried about details, sought the ideal number of council districts and used any uncertainty as an excuse to delay changes that might limit their power, county leaders forged ahead, choosing progress over perfection.
The reason for such different approaches? Strong leadership.
Horvath, the newest member of the Board of Supervisors, has said from the beginning that he wants to change county government. His fellow leaders requested a report on potential reforms a year and a half ago, but the study hasn’t even begun. Frustrated by the slow progress, Horvath and Hahn put together a package of reforms that have been studied and debated for decades, many of which were previously supported by other board members.
There was no consensus among the panel on the specifics of the proposal and the rush to get it on the November ballot. Supervisors Holly Mitchell and Kathryn Barger abstained from voting Tuesday on a motion to ask the county attorney to draft ballot language. But Horvath, Hahn and Supervisor Hilda Solis said they don’t want to miss a rare moment when there is community support for the change and the county charter commission will determine specific details later.
In the city, Council President Paul Krekorian led the reform committee through detailed, sometimes excruciating discussions to try to reach a consensus. While Krekorian said he wants to put council expansion on the November ballot, he has not pushed his colleagues to be decisive. City voters should expect sweeping changes.
It’s a shame because interested in reforms after this election may subside. Calls for changes in city government began in October 2022, when a leaked audio recording captured three council members making disparaging and racially divisive comments about their colleagues and constituents as they vied for political power.
The incident has reignited concerns about the city’s 2021 redistricting process. In response to public outrage, the council created an ad hoc committee on governance reform and held public hearings across the city last year. A group of academics funded by philanthropic groups recommended a series of reforms, including expanding City Hall, the size of which has not changed since 1924, even as the population has grown. increased almost fourfold.
While the focus is on reforming city government, the county is also in dire need of reform. Los Angeles County adopted its current charter in 1912, when the population was just 500,000 and before women could vote. It is a government representing 10 million people, with no elected leader to lead it, only the oversight of five supervisors, each representing a district of about 2 million people.
Voters in the city and district rejected previous proposals to expand the membership of the City Council and Board of Supervisors. But recent poll results show that voters are willing to support a change in the structure of local government, even if it means hiring more politicians. Kudos to the Board of Supervisors for taking the initiative and moving forward with serious government reform proposals and showing city leaders that while reform is complicated, it doesn’t have to be difficult.
