Measure E for Ethics - Why LA Forward Recommends a Yes Vote

This measure proposes an amendment to the LA County charter to provide greater independence and structure to the Ethics Commission with regard to appointment processes, qualifications, term, duties and responsibilities.

The amendments for greater independence come as a result of recommendations from the Governance Reform Task Force to safeguard the Ethics Commission's autonomy.

The charter amendments set forth in this measure also include language that will ensure the County’s commitment to allocate 10% of general funds towards community investment and alternatives to incarceration continue uninterrupted, which voters previously approved in 2020 through Measure J.

The County Board of Supervisors put this measure on the ballot to rectify an administrative error that occurred when County officials reported a discrepancy in language to charter amendments from 2 previous measures, Measure J and Measure G. In 2024 when Measure G was approved, it made significant changes to the County government structure in the charter, establishing an elected County Executive position, an independent ethics commission, and a nonpartisan legislative analyst position in an effort to advance ethics and provide greater accountability, transparency and representation in the County government. In 2025 County officials found that Measure J had never been written into the charter after its approval in 2020. As such, the version of the Charter that Measure G proposed did not include Measure J, so when voters approved Measure G, it rewrote the charter without the language from Measure J, effectively repealing Measure J through a clerical error.

Now the board is seeking to rectify the error and ensure that the proposed amendments consolidate the language between the two measures. This new measure was coauthored by Supervisors Holly Mitchell and Lindsey Horvath, and the motion was passed with support of four supervisors and one abstention from Supervisor Barger.

Since Measure J was first adopted the County has allocated 10% of general funds for community investments such as youth development programs, job training, housing assistance as well as alternatives to incarceration services that include restorative justice programs, mental health services, and substance use disorder services and treatment. Without Measure J in the County charter these services are at a risk of losing funding. In an effort to rectify the situation, The Board has established a budget that aligns with Measure J however that leaves a voter approved policy change at the discretion of the Board and could simply be reversed in future years by a new Board. A drafting error cannot wipe out years of work along with over 2 million votes for justice reinvestment in LA. The only way to ensure that funding for justice reinvestment programs is guaranteed in future year's budget allocation is through its inclusion in the County charter; without it, millions of dollars in funding for community investment are threatened. Passing this new measure will ensure that these programs continue to receive funding so that the services they provide can continue uninterrupted.

We recommend a yes vote on charter amendments to give increased independence and structure to the Ethics Commission, AND to continue the County’s commitment for community investment and alternatives to incarceration.