LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved Supervisors Mitchell and Barger’s motion to close a gap in providing transparent and consistent information to voters by directing the Auditor-Controller to include a fiscal impact statement for countywide ballot measures on the official sample ballot. The November 2024 general election will mark the first-time county sample ballots will consist of objective information on the estimated cost of countywide ballot measures. Currently, this information is only provided to voters by the state for statewide ballot measures.

“Transparency is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy. LA County will now offer the same baseline information on countywide ballot measures that voters have consistently received for statewide measures before casting their vote,” said Supervisor Holly Mitchell. “The fiscal analysis also strengthens accountability for the implementation of measures, providing awareness on the expected investment we must be prepared to make for the changes voters have called for.”

“I’m pleased we will move forward with offering consistent, objective fiscal information on Countywide ballots so voters can make informed decisions,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “At its heart, this motion is about ensuring voters are equipped with the full picture of what they’re voting upon. The best way to battle the mistrust in government and to support an informed electorate is to offer objective information from neutral sources. Our Auditor Controller is that source for Countywide ballots.”

State Elections Code 9160 requires a financial analysis of statewide measures and allows Counties to direct their local Auditor-Controller to do the same analysis. In LA County, information on the fiscal impact of county ballots is left up to the opponents and proponents of ballot measures. The passage of this motion ensures an objective estimated fiscal impact on the county will be available to voters as well.

The motion requires the fiscal impact statement to be available in multiple languages in the sample ballot. It also takes steps to prepare for future elections by calling for relevant County departments to conduct analysis with insights from community stakeholders to improve the process of providing objective information to voters by adding a Yes/No vote summary.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, in a 3-to-0 vote, approved Chair Lindsey Horvath and Supervisor Janice Hahn’s motion to put forward a charter amendment on the November 2024 ballot – that, if passed by voters – will expand the Board to nine members and create a new countywide elected Executive Officer position. Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, who authored a 2023 motion with Chair Horvath for governance reform that passed with unanimous support, calling for an independent review of the County’s governance structure that would include data-informed recommendations on the number to expand the Board abstained from voting and provided the following statement:

“I abstained from voting on the motion to present a charter amendment to the public to expand the Board to nine and to create a countywide elected officer position because these sweeping changes were not thoughtfully presented. What we were asked to vote on today lacked a focus on equity and details to support true governance reform. When I asked about the breadth of outreach that led to this motion being presented, there was no proof of true community engagement that included input from Second District residents or residents from throughout the County. There was no data-informed reason for why the number nine was chosen for board seats versus any other number. We have no assessment of the fiscal feasibility of these changes being implemented and what it would potentially cost the County; an honest assessment to the voters is paramount. Questions on who will be able to serve on the Governance Reform Task Force remain unanswered despite this task force being tasked with ushering in governance reform for the largest County in the nation.”

“There are too many critical unknowns that will only further inequities and undermine the efforts of the County to be truly transparent and accountable to the public. Last year, we unanimously agreed as a Board to take a thoughtful, data-informed approach to improving the County’s governance structure. We decided on an independent entity to recommend not just how many seats should be added to the Board for a public vote but also how the County can improve the process by which it creates policies that impact millions of lives daily. Bypassing this process to rush to the ballot box in November doesn’t solve the root of our governance problems.”

“I welcome an expansion of the Board and changes to how we govern that lead to more openness and input from the public. The pathway to achieving this is in the details. Our communities deserve an intentional charter amendment that isn’t driven by what one or any Supervisor thinks is best but by what truly is best for the greater good of the public.”

LOS ANGELES, Calif. —This week the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion authored by Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell that invests a total of $20 million dollars of Los Angeles County’s unallocated Measure B funding over the next four years to help support the operational needs of Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital (MLKCH). The motion authorizes the County’s Department of Health Services to allocate $8 million in one-time Measure B funding to be released to MLKCH and an additional $4 million up until the fiscal year 2026-2027.

“We have a responsibility to help ensure Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital has the funding it needs to continue to provide excellent healthcare services to our communities. It is a vital County institution providing lifesaving care to thousands of residents from communities that have historically faced limited access to quality health services,” said Supervisor Mitchell. “This investment builds on the County’s commitment to prioritize the health and well-being of our residents.”

MLKCH serves a patient population that faces disproportionately high chronic illness and unmet needs. Before it was built, the County projected that the MLKCH emergency room would receive roughly 25,000 to 30,000 visits a year. Last year alone, the hospital had 100,000 emergency room visits. MLKCH reported that nearly all the patients visiting the emergency room are covered by Medi-Cal, but current Medi-Cal rates do not compensate the hospital for the actual cost of care. The hospital estimates that it will run out of funding in December 2024 and is seeking other state and federal funding options.

In November of 2023, the Board passed Supervisor Mitchell’s motion directing the County’s Chief Executive Office (CEO) and the Department of Health Services to identify options to help financially stabilize MLKCH’s operations. The CEO identified various relief options that would have no net County cost, including using unallocated Measure B funding.

“I’m tremendously gratified for the leadership of Supervisor Mitchell and the support from the County Board of Supervisors to provide the funding MLK Community Hospital needs to continue to deliver on our mission in South L.A. said Dr. Elaine Batchlor, CEO of MLK Community Healthcare. “The Board’s unanimous vote unequivocally affirms the public-private partnership that makes us so unique—and so powerful a model for health equity throughout the state and the nation.”

The hospital continues to meet the high demand with excellence in service. MLKCH has earned a rare 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, for two years in a row and recently earned an “A’ from Leapfrog – an independent national non-profit that measures quality and patient safety.

To read the full motion, click here.