The county Board of Supervisors took another step forward Tuesday in creating a Ethics Commission and Office of Ethics Compliance in an effort to bolster accountability and transparency in county government.
The board unanimously approved a motion directing various departments to begin establishing the infrastructure for staffing and operating the commission, including allocation of funding, recruitment of staff and commission members and drafting of a county charter amendment to place on the November ballot for voters to codify the establishment of the office and commission.
The idea of the commission was first backed by voters through the 2024 approval of Measure G, a county governance overhaul measure that also called for expansion of the Board of Supervisors and other changes in county operations.
“Los Angeles County is taking a historic step toward stronger ethics, accountability, and public trust,” Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said in a statement following the board’s vote. “Establishing the county’s first-ever independent Ethics Commission and Office of Ethics Compliance — through a unanimous vote of the board — delivers on the will of the voters and marks a monumental step toward greater transparency and accountability in county government.
“This framework was shaped by the thoughtful work of the Governance Reform Task Force, ethics experts, and community voices who helped strengthen these recommendations. LA County voters gave us a clear mandate through Measure G to act on ethics in 2026, and this motion puts the structure, timeline, and resources in place to make that vision a reality.”
The board’s vote was unanimous, but Supervisor Janice Hahn said she was disappointed with the planned process for filling spots on the Ethics Commission. Under the measure approved Tuesday, the county assessor, district attorney, sheriff, Governance Reform Task Force and Board of Supervisors chair would each appoint one member, and those five members would then select two additional members to round out the seven-person panel.
Hahn said she did not think any commission members should be appointed by elected officials.
“We are seeing a lot of distrust of government — especially of elected officials,” Hahn said in a statement. “The promise in Measure G was an `independent’ ethics commission that would hold elected officials accountable. But if the ethics commissioners themselves are appointed by the elected officials they are supposed to be overseeing, their independence is compromised. I thought the L.A. County Citizens Redistricting Commission provided a better model where qualified members of the public are appointed by a lottery system — not by electeds themselves.
“Nevertheless, this ethics commission is a huge and historic step forward for transparency and accountability in L.A. County government. While I think the makeup could be improved, I was proud to move forward with creating this important commission.”
County attorneys are expected to return to the board by June 30 with a draft ordinance establishing the ethics commission and office.
According to Horvath’s office, Los Angeles will become only the third county in the state to have an ethics commission, joining San Francisco and Orange counties.