Cynthia Lezama

LOS ANGELES, CA – Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to bifurcate Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell’s motion addressing deputy gangs within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD). The Board then voted 4-1 to approve one directive for a report back in 30 days that clarified which anti-deputy-gang reforms are subject to meet-and-confer requirements with Sheriff’s Department unions and how they could legally be prevented from moving forward. The Board also voted 4-1 to continue the vote on the remaining 12 directives in Supervisor Mitchell’s motion for 45 days until the November 10 Board meeting.

Supervisor Mitchell was the sole no vote on the Board’s actions and expressed concern that continuing the remaining directives further delays meaningful action toward establishing a comprehensive County framework to identify, investigate, publicly report and ultimately eradicate deputy gangs within LASD.

Supervisor Mitchell issued the following statement:

“For decades, Los Angeles County has talked about deputy gangs. We have had reports, investigations, hearings and lawsuits, and we have heard directly from community members and deputies about the harm they have experienced. Yet we continue to delay meaningful action.

This motion went through the County’s Cluster process a month before coming before the Board, giving the Sheriff’s Department, Board offices and the other departments identified in the motion ample time to review it and provide feedback. This has always been a collaborative process, and the Sheriff’s Department was invited to provide input. Despite that opportunity, we came to the Board without substantive comments from the Department.

The directives in this motion are fundamentally about gathering information so that we can understand what we know about deputy gangs, cliques and secret subgroups; how we identify them; how allegations are investigated; and what options are available to this Board to hold these groups accountable.

These are information-gathering and accountability measures that are intended to help us determine the best way to move forward. Continuing them again delays the very information we need to make informed decisions and take meaningful action.

I also believe we have a responsibility to respect the public’s time. Community members have been raising concerns about deputy gangs for decades. They should not have to continue waiting for the County to establish a clear process for identifying these groups, investigating allegations and determining how to address them.

We have documented this problem for years. This motion is about creating the infrastructure to meaningfully address it. I look forward to continuing this discussion and taking action by voting yes on the remaining items in the motion, which unfortunately won’t happen until the Tuesday, November 10 Board of Supervisors meeting, as a result of Supervisor Hahn’s motion.”

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LOS ANGELES, CA – Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved, in a 4-0 vote, a motion by Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell and Supervisor and Board Chair Hilda L. Solis to initiate the process for the County’s first Commercial Rental Property License for landlords in unincorporated Los Angeles County. The motion directs County departments to report back with a commercial licensing and reporting framework that would give the County, for the first time, a clearer picture of commercial rental conditions—including rents, vacancies and lease durations—while creating new tools to connect small businesses with assistance and hold commercial landlords accountable when violations occur. 

“Small businesses are the backbone of our communities, creating jobs and adding to the unique character of our neighborhoods, but far too many are being pushed out by predatory practices without any accountability. Creating a Commercial Rental Property License for our unincorporated communities will provide greater transparency on rental rates and allow us to target support where it’s needed most,” said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, Second District. “This motion builds on the Board of Supervisors track record of supporting both small businesses and commercial landlords through grants, rent relief, and technical and legal assistance.” 

“For many families, a small business is more than a livelihood. It is a pathway to economic opportunity, generational wealth and community stability,” said Los Angeles County Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. “As Los Angeles County invests in strengthening commercial corridors, we have a responsibility to ensure longtime businesses are not displaced by rising costs and redevelopment pressures. This motion will help protect small businesses, preserve neighborhood character and ensure local entrepreneurs can continue contributing to the economic vitality of our communities.” 

The motion also directs County departments to develop additional protections for commercial tenants, including: 

• Relocation assistance for businesses displaced because of landlord violations of the County’s Commercial Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance; 

• A County commercial rent study to establish fair-market commercial rents by region and better understand the causes of small business displacement, 

• And greater transparency in the redevelopment process, including exploring notification requirements for affected commercial tenants.

Commercial property owners, small business owners and advocates helped inform the motion with their lived experiences. The Small Business Alliance for Equitable Communities, a coalition that includes small business owners and advocacy organizations throughout Los Angeles County, like Inclusive Action, Public Counsel, Bet Tzedek, Little Tokyo Service Center and Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE), shared: 

“As small business owners and advocates, we hear every day about the harassment and displacement from commercial landlords. Today’s vote is a critical step forward to protect local small businesses from these threats and keep them in our communities. We look forward to continuing to work with Supervisor Mitchell and our County partners to bring these important commercial tenant protections to fruition.” 

Supervisor Mitchell emphasized during today’s Board meeting that the motion does not cap commercial rents, require landlords to provide copies of leases, or block redevelopment projects. Instead, it seeks to close gaps in existing state protections, improve the County’s ability to identify and assist vulnerable businesses, and create accountability when landlords violate existing tenant protections. 

The County’s Commercial Rent Study is expected to be completed by December, this will inform the ordinance for the Commercial Rental Property License which is slated to be voted on by the Board in the beginning of 2027.

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LOS ANGELES, CA – This week, a federal judge temporarily allowed the Trump administration’s restrictions on mail-in ballots to take effect. This is not the final word, as the fight to protect the right to vote-by-mail continues, with attorneys general from 24 states – including California – challenging the ruling in court. Trump’s restrictions could still be blocked from moving forward.

Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell shared the following statement:

“Trying to add barriers to voting by mail is more of the same from the Trump administration’s attempts to suppress the voices and votes of the people. We have seen this playbook before, and we will not be discouraged or stop fighting to protect the right to vote—in all its forms.

An insidious part of the Trump playbook is to spread confusion and fear to prevent people from voting at all, regardless of whether his plan is ultimately blocked in court. LA County is committed to doing all we can to ensure that does not happen and that our residents have the facts. We will continue to uphold our responsibility to provide an accessible and fair election process.

Access to fair and open elections is inextricably tied to democracy and must be protected. I want to thank California, along with the 23 other states and countless advocacy organizations, that are not backing down and have said enough. This is a dynamic issue that is rapidly changing, so we will continue to follow it closely. I encourage all residents to do the same: stay informed, know the facts, and vote.”

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LOS ANGELES, CA – Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, in partnership with Reimagine LA Coalition and Tres Lunas Consulting, today announced a $1.45 million investment to expand the 2nd District Community Budget, Supervisor Mitchell’s landmark participatory budgeting program that gives local residents a direct say in how public funds are invested in their communities. The expansion will allocate $600,000 to Willowbrook and $850,000 to Athens-Westmont.

“I am proud to be expanding our participatory budgeting program to reach more residents in our unincorporated communities. The success from our landmark pilot was a reflection of co-governance at its best and demonstrated what is possible when our residents have a direct say in how their public funds are spent. What became possible was more access to job readiness support and career opportunities, beautification projects, rental assistance to help residents stay housed, and so much more,” said Supervisor Mitchell. “I look forward to applying the lessons learned in this next phase of our Community Budget and continuing to work directly with local residents and our community-based organizations in making this possible.”

Following the successful launch of the 2nd District Community Budget in 2023 — the first-ever participatory budgeting program in Los Angeles County — where a total investment of $1.7 million was allocated to the unincorporated communities of Ladera Heights and Florence-Firestone to fund solutions and programs shaped by the residents who live there; this next phase of the Community Budget is expected to impact the 33,400 Willowbrook residents and 43,200 Athens-Westmont residents who will be encouraged to submit ideas and vote on ways to meet community needs and improve their neighborhoods.

Ways Local Residents & Community Organizations Can Get Involved:

A key component of the participatory budgeting process is the Advisory Committee, which is composed of local residents who help develop and weigh-in on recommendations for initiatives and improvements in their neighborhoods. Those recommendations will ultimately be put to a vote by their fellow residents.

Residents of Willowbrook and Athens-Westmont who are 16 years or older, including seniors, are strongly encouraged to apply to serve on the Advisory Committee. Residents of all identities, regardless of immigration status, gender or sexual identity, or race and ethnicity, are welcome to apply.

Apply at Mitchell.LACounty.gov/CommunityBudget. The application deadline is Friday, September 18, at 11:59 p.m.

Upcoming Information and Application Support Sessions

Residents and community partners interested in learning more about these opportunities are invited to attend upcoming information and application support sessions via Zoom.

Wednesday, September 2 at 6:00 p.m. Register: bit.ly/SD2-Sept-2

Wednesday, September 16 at 6:00 p.m. Register: bit.ly/SD2-Sept-16

These virtual sessions will provide an overview of the Community Budget, walk participants through the application process, and answer questions.

Become a Community Engagement Partner

Local community-based organizations are needed to be Community Engagement Partners. Organizations interested in receiving grant funding to support with community outreach efforts can sign up here to be notified when the Community Engagement Partner application is available.

For more information about the 2nd District Community Budget, visit Mitchell.LACounty.gov/CommunityBudget and follow Supervisor Mitchell on social media for updates at @HollyJMitchell on Instagram or @Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell on Facebook.

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