Supporters of Measure G declared victory this week, eking out a win with roughly 51% support. While the Los Angeles County charter changes didn’t get as much attention as other high-profile measures on the ballot, make no mistake: This wonky governance reform package may be the most transformative decision county voters have made in decades.
By 2026, the county will for the first time have an ethics commission to regulate conflicts of interest and lobbying and investigate misconduct by elected officials and county employees. This is long overdue for a government with a $45-billion budget and 100,000 employees. A recent investigation triggered by the federal corruption case against former Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas found significant problems in the county’s contracting process, prompting investigators to recommend a new ethics and compliance officer and other measures to prevent conflicts of interest.