Supervisor Kathryn Barger issued the following statement today, after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors deliberated on whether to approve her motion to move forward with ethics reform in Los Angeles County:
“Public distrust in government runs deep, so keeping ethics reform moving forward in Los Angeles County is crucial.
Our County’s legal team has done a commendable job confirming our Board of Supervisors indeed has the authority to establish an independent Ethics Commission, Ethics Compliance Office and Ethics Officer. That’s an important first step as we dutifully evaluate our options.
I was also pleased to hear during today’s Board discussion a heightened focus on supporting a public input process. Crafting any type of reform needs to honor that fundamental step. I’m committed to keeping our ethics reform work accessible for the public’s review and commentary–transparency and accountability don’t need to wait.”
A copy of the final motion approved by the LA County Board of Supervisors, who voted 5-0 unanimously in support of Supervisor Barger’s motion with some amendments, is available here. County Counsel will next provide a publicly accessible report within 30 days from today, outlining possible models, costs, and implementation timelines. The report will be available here.