LOS ANGELES COUNTY: MEASURE G
2024 GENERAL ELECTION
MEASURE G OFFICIALLY PASSED
MEASURE G OFFICIALLY PASSED
WHAT IS COUNTY MEASURE G?
For Los Angeles County voters, the November 5th General Election includes a ballot measure called ‘County Measure G: Los Angeles County Government Structure, Ethics And Accountability Charter Amendment”.
County Measure G proposes the following key changes to the Los Angeles County Charter:
Expansion of the Board of Supervisors
The measure will expand number of Board of Supervisors from 5 to 9
Currently with 5 Supervisors, each Supervisor governs about 2 million residents
Creation of Elected County Executive
The measure will create an elected County Executive position
This role will hold similar executive and administrative powers of the Board of Supervisors.
This position is meant to increase accountability for County Government and offer a dedicated executive position in Los Angeles County. Currently, the Board of Supervisors are the executive and legislative heads.
Creation of Ethics Commission & Charter Reform Commission
The measure create a Ethics Commission, Charter Review Commission, and Governance Reform Task Force — designed to have different entities that will hold the County Officials accountable.
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After careful consideration and talking with experts, CAUSE has decided to be in support of Measure G due to its high potential to empower and civically advance Asian and Pacific Islander communities in Los Angeles County.
HOW DOES LOS ANGELES COUNTY GOVERNMENT CURRENTLY WORK?
The Government of Los Angeles County is defined and authorized under the California Constitution, California law, and the Charter of the County of Los Angeles. It is comprised of a five-member Board of Supervisors, several elected officials including the Sheriff, District Attorney, and Assessor, and numerous county departments and entities under the supervision of the chief executive officer.
The elected five-member Board of Supervisors is the governing body of the County of Los Angeles. It guides policies and services for over 10 million diverse residents. Each Board of Supervisors oversees a district within the County of Los Angeles, each of which contains approximately 2 million people. Members are elected by voters in their respective districts and are limited to three four-year terms.
Read CAUSE’s full breakdown of the Board of Supervisors below:
INSIGHTS FROM EXPERTS
CAUSE talked with experts, Honorable Mike Eng and Dr. Sara Sadhwani about their insights on Measure G and how the measure will impact API communities. The Honorable Mike Eng serves as a Board Member of the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and is a former California Assemblymember and Dr. Sadhwani is an assistant professor of politics at Pomona College and a political scientist.
Listen to the conversations below:
IF COUNTY MEASURE G PASSES, where are potential leadership opportunities?
The following table summarizes potential leadership opportunities that each of the 13 provisions of County Measure G may open up if it passes in the upcoming election. The table breaks down the direct opportunities outlined by the provisions and their expected timelines for establishment. These potential leadership opportunities can offer room for additional diversity, additional representation for underrepresented communities, and additional avenues for advocacy in Los Angeles County government.
| # | PROVISION | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | By 2028, establish an office of County Executive to be elected directly by voters countywide at a general election for a term of four years and every four years thereafter. The County Executive shall have all executive and administrative powers and duties of the Board of Supervisors except for administrative oversight of the County Legislative Analyst and the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors. Legislative and quasi-judicial powers shall be retained by the Board of Supervisors. In addition, the County Executive shall have the following powers and duties: • To perform all powers and duties provided by State law and County Code to the county chief administrative officer. • To appoint and dismiss all appointed department heads, subject to confirmation by the Board of Supervisors unless prohibited by law, except for the County Legislative Analyst and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors. • To supervise, direct, evaluate, and manage the conduct of all appointed department heads, unless prohibited by law, except for the County Legislative Analyst and the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors. • To develop and submit the County annual budget to the Board of Supervisors for approval or amendment by that body, which shall transmit back any amendments to the budget, to the County Executive, in accordance with State law. • To veto amendments made by the Board of Supervisors to the budget, except that the Board of Supervisors have seven days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) from such veto to restore an amendment by two-thirds majority vote of the Board, within the time for adopting the County budget specified in State law. | Possible Opportunities for New Leadership: County Executive by 2028 (Elected) Clerk of Board of Supervisor Department Heads that would be appointed by the newly established County Executive |
| 2 | Expand the Board of Supervisors from five members to nine members following the 2030 decennial census and reapportionment process. Seven Supervisors shall be elected in 2032. Two of the seven Supervisors will serve a term of two years. The initial two-year term shall not count towards the term limits established in the County Charter but will also not create a break in service for incumbent Supervisors for purposes of determining consecutive terms. The Supervisorial Districts subject to an initial two-year term shall be selected randomly. Four Supervisors shall be elected in 2034 for a full term expiring in 2038. Thereafter, Supervisors shall be elected in staggered elections of five Supervisors and four Supervisors in even numbered years for four-year terms. | Possible Opportunities for New Leadership: 7 BOS seats up for election in 2032 (2/7 will serve an initial 2-year term that does not count towards the term limits.) 4 BOS seats up for election seats in 2034 for full terms. |
| 3 | By 2028, establish the position of the Director of Budget and Management to prepare the County Executive’s annual budget, to advise and provide recommendations to the County Executive on the fiscal condition, financial status, and future needs of the County, and to promote productivity, economic development, and efficiency in the conduct of County government. The Director of Budget and Management shall be appointed by the County Executive subject to confirmation by the Board of Supervisors. The Director of Budget and Management shall prepare the County’s annual budget and administer the budget upon adoption. The Director of Budget and Management shall coordinate additional administrative functions currently performed by the Chief Executive Office. | Possible Opportunities for New Leadership: Director of Budget and Management by 2028 (appointed by County Executive) |
| 4 | By 2028, establish the position of County Legislative Analyst. The County Legislative Analyst shall be appointed and removed by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board of Supervisors. The County Legislative Analyst shall provide nonpartisan legislative support and analysis for the Board of Supervisors on County policy issues. | Possible Opportunities for New Leadership: County Legislative Analyst (appointed by BOS) by 2028 |
| 5 | By 2026, require all non-urgency legislation be publicly posted for a minimum of 120 hours (five days) before action is taken by the Board of Supervisors | |
| 6 | By 2026, establish an independent Ethics Commission charged with the following: Investigate allegations of misconduct by County officials and to monitor and enforce laws in coordination with other agencies related to governmental ethics, including but not limited to campaign finance, conflicts of interest, lobbying, post government employment, government contracts, and land use developer conflicts. Regularly review the County Code and make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors for updates regarding governmental ethics including, but not limited to, campaign finance, conflicts of interest, lobbying, post-government employment, government contracts, and land use developer conflicts. Develop and/or implement additional updates and features to enable searchable public data portals related to governmental ethics, including but not limited to all lobbying activity, defined as but not limited to registration, activity, contributions, and expenditures updated in real time, or as close to real time as practicable. The Board of Supervisors shall provide reasonable funding and staffing for the Ethics Commission. | Possible Opportunities for New Leadership: Independent Ethics Commissioners selected by 2026 |
| 7 | Authorize suspension of an elected county officer, including a member of the Board of Supervisors, with or without pay, who has been criminally charged with felony related to a violation of official duties to the extent permitted by law. | |
| 8 | By 2026, establish the Office of Ethics Compliance to be led by the Ethics Compliance Officer to support the work of the independent Ethics Commission. | Possible Opportunities for New Leadership: Ethics Compliance Officerselected by 2026 |
| 9 | Require a “revolving door” policy for Los Angeles County that prohibits former Los Angeles County officials from lobbying the County for a minimum of two years after leaving County service, not the current one year. | |
| 10 | Establish a Governance Reform Task Force, reporting to the Board of Supervisors, responsible for implementation of this Charter amendment upon adoption by the voters, including robust community and stakeholder outreach. The Task Force shall convene no later than 180 days after certification of the vote and provide initial recommendations to the Board of Supervisors within a reasonable timeframe in order to carry out the effects of the Charter amendment. The Task Force shall disband upon completion of implementation no later than December 3, 2028, unless otherwise directed by the Board of Supervisors. | Possible Opportunities for New Leadership: Governance Reform Task Force(to be formed within 180 days after voting certificate) Estimated to be Mid-2025 if Measure G passes. Task force to disband and complete implementation by December 3, 2028. |
| 11 | Establish a Charter Review Commission to meet, at a minimum, decennially to review Los Angeles County governance and the Los Angeles County Charter. The Charter Review Commission shall make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. Upon transmittal of the Commission’s recommendations, the Board must place the recommendations on the agenda and vote no later than 90 days after receipt | Possible Opportunities for New Leadership: Charter Review Commissioners selected in 2025 |
| 12 | Require County departments and agencies to present their budgets to the Board of Supervisors in open, public meetings, prior to the annual budget being adopted. | |
| 13 | Require that the implementation of this measure may only use existing County funding sources, and there not be any additional costs to or taxes imposed on taxpayers to implement this measure |