L.A. County voters decide homeless funding, expanding board of supes in 2024 election

A ballot measure aimed at enlarging the pot of money available for homeless services in Los Angeles County was ahead, while another measure expanding the county Board of Supervisors was virtually tied in early returns Tuesday night.

Measure A would double the quarter-cent sales tax that voters approved in 2017 for homeless services and extend the tax indefinitely, ensuring that a major funding stream won’t dry up in a few years.

Measure G would dramatically shift power within L.A. County government, nearly doubling the size of the board of supervisors and creating a new ethics commission as well as a new elected executive position that functions almost like a mayor.

The board would expand from five to nine supervisors, with each politician representing about 1.1 million people. Each supervisor currently represents 2 million constituents in America’s largest county.

The county’s current chief executive, appointed by the supervisors, is responsible for daily operations and drafting a $49-billion annual budget. Under the measure, the executive would be elected by county voters.

The new ethics commission would be designed to punish corrupt officials and crack down on the “revolving door” of county officials-turned-lobbyists.

The deadline to create the ethics commission would be 2026, and the county executive would be elected by 2028. All nine supervisors wouldn’t come on board until 2032, following a redistricting process.

Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn got the ball rolling on Measure G this spring, arguing that the county’s outdated government structure was long overdue for a refresh.

The proposal won the support of Supervisor Hilda Solis, and the board voted 3-2 to refer the mammoth overhaul of county government to voters. Supervisors Holly Mitchell and Kathryn Barger voted against it, criticizing the process as rushed and the proposal as ill-conceived.

It proved instantly controversial.

Supporters like Horvath and Hahn argue that the basic form of county government has not changed substantially since the county’s founding in 1850. They say the restructuring would also pave the way for a more racially diverse board.

Five supervisors are nowhere near enough to properly represent the county’s 10 million constituents, who rely on the board to oversee the region’s jails, public hospitals and child welfare system, among other critical services, supporters argue.

Opponents of Measure G argued that a new elected position overseeing the county’s executive branch would create unnecessary power struggles and that the proposal could needlessly drain the county’s coffers.

The county auditor’s office has put one-time costs for the measure at about $8 million, but critics expected the ultimate price tag to be much larger.

County attorneys estimated last month that the ethics reforms detailed in the measure could cost $21 million yearly, mostly because of staff salaries. The campaign for Measure G disputed the estimate.

Voters have rejected the idea of expanding the Board of Supervisors at least eight times — most recently in 2000.

The quarter-cent sales tax approved by voters to fund homeless services through Measure H is scheduled to sunset in 2027. A coalition of labor unions, nonprofits and homeless service providers helped put Measure A, which would raise the tax to a half-cent with no expiration date, on the ballot.

There has been no organized opposition, though the measure has faced skepticism from some residents who believe the region has little to show for the millions already generated through Measure H.

But supporters of Measure A warn that homelessness will spike dramatically if the sales tax expires, drying up funds for temporary beds and rental subsidies, among other services.

A cheer went up at the campaign party for Measure A when the first round of early results hit the board Tuesday night.

“Each vote brings us one step closer to being able to bring bold new solutions to tackling homelessness and improving the lives of all who call Los Angeles County home,” said Scott Mann with the Measure A campaign in a statement.

After climbing for the last five years, overall homelessness leveled off in Los Angeles County in 2024, according to the annual count released in June.

There were 75,312 homeless people across the county, including in the city of L.A., the count showed, down 0.3% compared with the previous year.

Measure H generates about half a billion dollars a year, which is most of the money the county spends on homeless services, including mental health treatment, drug treatment and job counseling.

According to estimates, the new sales tax would raise more than $1 billion each year, with 60% going to homeless services and nearly all the rest dedicated to housing production.

The tax would be permanent unless it is repealed by another ballot measure.