Residents interested in serving on Los Angeles County’s first-ever independent Ethics Commission were being urged Tuesday by county officials to apply.
Residents across the county have until Sunday to file an application at measureg.lacounty.gov/ethics-commission-application/. The county also has a website where interested parties can find out more about the commission, responsibilities and other information.
The commission is one of the earliest changes to take effect under Measure G, the governance overhaul county voters approved in 2024.
The county is looking for a diverse range of members, including community leaders, and people with both traditional and non-traditional expertise. At least one member of the seven-member commission will be a resident of an unincorporated community.
Members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a proposed ordinance Tuesday to place a measure on the November ballot for the creation of the ethics commission and Office of Ethics Compliance. There was no discussion prior to the vote.
Last week, the Los Angeles County Governance Reform Task Force approved technical changes to a draft ordinance. They also approved a letter to the Board of Supervisors detailing their work.
Nicholas Heirdorn, a consultant for the task force and assistant professor of law and public policy at the University of the Pacific, highlighted that the proposal would allow the commission to hire, fire and set the salary for its compliance officer, as well as enable in-house legal services. Additionally, the proposal would allow the ethics commission to be able to refer measures to the ballot.
The proposal would also authorize the future commission to enforce state laws related to governing ethics and campaign finance.
In their deliberations, the task force clarified evidentiary standards in enforcement proceeding, the ethics commission’s jurisdiction to impose fines for violations of ethics laws and procedures related to charter conflicts, among other things.
The proposed ordinance is expected to lay out the role, responsibilities, duties and procedures of the ethics commission.
Measure G, among other broader governance reforms, mandates the expansion of the Board of Supervisors from five to nine members, and an elected county chief executive officer.