Measure G | californiachoices.org

My vote

Would amend the Los Angeles County Charter to create an elected County Executive; create an independent Ethics Commission to increase restrictions on lobbying and investigate misconduct; establish a nonpartisan Legislative Analyst to review proposed County policies; increase the Board of Supervisors from five to nine elected members; require County departments to present annual budgets in public meetings; using existing funding sources with no additional taxes to implement, as detailed in the charter amendment ordinance. Measure G requires 50%+1 of the vote in order to pass.

Fiscal Impact: This Charter Amendment will likely result in additional future costs in two categories – for implementation of the Charter Amendment, and for the ongoing costs of operating the new offices and positions it creates. The Charter Amendment requires that implementation costs be funded with existing County funding sources and result in no additional costs to, or taxes imposed on taxpayers. Accordingly, implementation costs including, but not limited to, the office and space requirements of the four new Supervisorial districts, establishing new departments and officials as outlined in the Charter Amendment, and additional technology and election costs may be addressed by reallocating funds from other County functions/programs, setting aside future growth of existing funding sources, and/or realizing savings from operating efficiencies. Overall, estimates indicate one-time implementation costs could be $8 million or more, depending on future policymaker decisions.

Next Los Angeles County Measure: Measure DD

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Details

Pro/Con

Pro:

Supporters argue to VOTE YES on Measure G to make Los Angeles County work better for its 10 million residents by improving ethics, representation, transparency, and accountability through meaningful charter reform for the first time since 1912.

Vote YES to advance ethics reforms to hold politicians accountable and root out waste, fraud and corruption; create an independent Ethics Commission; prevent former politicians from lobbying the County in the first two years after leaving office; and authorize suspension of County politicians criminally charged with a felony.
Opponents of this measure—lobbyists, special interests, and political bureaucrats– want to keep the status quo because they benefit from it. Measure G will help to reduce their power and influence. Measure G will NOT cost taxpayers or impact County services. The measure mandates these reforms be implemented using existing funds from the County's massive $45 billion budget.

A YES vote on this measure means you’d like to expand the Board of Supervisors from five to nine elected Supervisors, create an independent Ethics Commission, Legislative Analyst, Director of Budget and Management, Governance Reform Task Force, and Charter Review Commission, increase lobbying restrictions, authorize suspension of elected County officials, present departmental budgets in public meetings, with no additional costs to, or taxes imposed on, taxpayers, as specified in the Measure.

Con:

The people of LA County deserve results from their elected leaders, not more elected positions without accountability and increased spending that takes from an already strained county budget working to address the homeless and mental health crisis, as proposed by Measure G.

Weakens Accountability: The proposed measure will add a Countywide Elected Officer who can serve with no term limits. The position will empower a single office that serves 10 million residents, with power over the county budget and all 40 county departments. This weakens the ability of the LA County Supervisors you elected to hold departments accountable for addressing the unique issues of the diverse communities they represent.

No Budget Transparency: Measure G will divert millions of dollars to create more elected and county offices that must be paid for by cutting budgets from other County offices and services, which has a direct impact on communities that rely solely on LA County for local government services. There are nearly a billion dollars in department requests for funding to carry out existing services and programs for residents that could be cut to pay for this measure.

LA County needs more results, not more government layers that cost taxpayer money and remove accountability.

That's why Measure G is opposed by police, firefighters, labor, and community groups.

A NO vote on this measure means that the structure of the County government continues in its current form with a five-member elected Board of Supervisors and no elected County Executive, no additional commissions or appointed offices will be required, and no additional restrictions, authorizations, or requirements will be added to the County Charter.

Voter Resources

Los Angeles County Election Resources