A proposal for revamping Los Angeles County government, in part by expanding the Board of Supervisors from five to nine members, received support Thursday from two Congressional representatives, who say it could lead to a special district for the Asian American Pacific Islander community.
Rep. Judy Chu, who represents the 28th Congressional District, and Rep. Ted Lieu, representing the 36th Congressional District, voiced their support for the proposed ballot measure that would also make the CEO of the county an elected position. The two officials joined Supervisors Lindsey Horvath, Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis for a morning news conference, where they shared how crucial the proposal could mean to the AAPI community.
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"This expansion is not just a structural adjustment, it's a crucial step toward ensuring that our government truly represents the rich diversity of our region," Chu said. "L.A. County is home to more Asian Americans than any other county in the United States, with close to 1.5 million AAPI living here."
She noted Asian American have outpaced overall population growth in cities such as Monterey Park, Koreatown, Long Beach, Torrance and Santa Clarita, where the Asian American population has tripled in size.
"L.A. County is home to 14 Asian majority suburbs, many of whom are in my district in the San Gabriel Valley," Chu said. "But despite this overwhelming growth of AAPI communities across L.A. County, there is not a single person who is AAPI who sits on the Board of Supervisors."
Chu said the AAPI community has been marginalized for far too long, citing discriminatory laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 or the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.
"We didn't have representation among our elected officers, and fortunately, this can change," Chu said.
Lieu hailed the proposal to expand the Board of Supervisors, adding that it will make it easier for county leaders to respond to the needs of their constituents. Currently each five board members represents about 2 million people.
The proposal also calls for the establishment of a Director of Budget and a Legislative Analyst, and creation of an independent ethics commission. Though, Supervisor Kathryn Barger previously said she would introduce a motion to expedite that process.
The Board of Supervisors are expected to take a first vote Tuesday on the draft ordinances that would place the package of proposed County Charter changes on the November ballot. If approved, a subsequent and final vote will take place July 30, according to Constance Farrell, communications director for Horvath.
"By essentially cutting our districts in half, we're ensuring our communities have better access to elected supervisors who represent them," Horvath said. "Good government is one with checks and balances."
She also called their plans for ethics reform as a "crucial" component that would increase transparency and build public trust.
"The independent ethics commission would enhance accountability and integrity within the county's governance, holding our elected representatives to the highest levels of ethical conduct with protocols to root out corruption," Horvath said.
Additionally, the supervisors also want to ensure there's a more open and transparent budget process. They aim to establish public budgetary meetings so their constituents understand exactly how the county's $46 billion budget is being spent.
Supervisor Hahn reiterated that the county is largest in the nation, and more populous than 40 states.
"We want this board to expand from five to nine members not because we want bigger government, but because we want better and more representative government," Hahn said. "We want to make sure that more voices are in our boardroom when we're deciding how to tackle the biggest changes we face as a county. The AAPI community deserves a seat at that table."
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