A ballot measure aimed at increasing funding available for homeless services is leading the way in Los Angeles County, and another proposal to expand the county Board of Supervisors was effectively tied in an early vote Tuesday night.

Measure A would double the quarter-cent sales tax voters approved on homeless services in 2017 and extend it indefinitely, depleting a major funding source in a few years. This is to prevent this from happening.

Policy G dramatically shifts power within Los Angeles County government, nearly doubling the size of the Board of Supervisors and creating a new Ethics Commission and a new elected executive position that functions much like the mayor. I will do it.

The number of supervisors on the board will be expanded from five to nine, meaning each politician will represent about 1.1 million people. Each supervisor currently represents 2 million voters in America’s largest county.

The county’s current chief executive, appointed by supervisors, is responsible for day-to-day operations and drafting the $49 billion annual budget. Under the bill, executives would be elected by county voters.

The new Ethics Commission will be created to punish corrupt officials and crack down on the “revolving door” of county employees turned lobbyists.

The deadline for establishing the Ethics Commission is 2026, and the county executive is expected to be elected by 2028. All nine supervisors will not serve on the board until 2032, following a redistricting process.

Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn broke ground on Measure G this spring, arguing that it was a long-overdue overhaul of the county’s outdated government structure.

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1. Supervisor Lindsey Horvath holds a press conference with Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 2. District 4 Supervisor Janice Hahn at the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting on October 3, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Irrfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

The proposal gained support from Supervisor Hilda Solis, and the board voted 3-2 to leave a major overhaul of county government to voters. Supervisors Holly Mitchell and Kathryn Berger voted against it, criticizing the process as rushed and the proposal as inappropriate.

It quickly proved controversial.

Supporters like Mr. Horvath and Mr. Hahn argue that the basic form of county government has remained virtually unchanged since the county was founded in 1850. They argue that the reorganization would also pave the way for a more racially diverse board.

Advocates argue that five supervisors are far from adequately representing the county’s 10 million voters, who are unable to control vital services such as local jails, public hospitals and the child welfare system. Relies on the board for oversight.

Opponents of Measure G argued that a new elected position overseeing the county executive branch would create an unnecessary power struggle and that the proposal could unnecessarily deplete county resources.

The county auditor’s office estimates the measure’s one-time cost at about $8 million, but critics expect the ultimate cost to be much higher.

County attorneys estimated last month that the ethics reforms detailed in the bill could cost $21 million a year, mostly due to staff salaries. The Measure G campaign disputed this estimate.

Voters at least rejected the idea of ​​expanding the Supervisory Board 8 times — most recently in 2000.

The quarter-cent sales tax approved by voters to fund homeless services through Measure H is scheduled to be repealed in 2027. A coalition of labor unions, nonprofit organizations, and homeless service providers supported the passage of Measure A, which would raise the tax to half a cent. Ballots do not have an expiration date.

Although the bill has faced challenges, there has been no organized opposition. skepticism Some residents believe the region has little to show for the millions of people Measure H has already created.

A homeless encampment on a riverbed in Norwalk.

(Jason Almond/Los Angeles Times)

But supporters of Measure A warn that once the sales tax expires, homelessness will skyrocket and funding for services like temporary beds and rent subsidies will be depleted.

The number of homeless people across Los Angeles County has been on the rise for the past five years, but will level off in 2024, according to annual statistics released in June.

According to the count, the number of homeless people in Los Angeles County, including the city of Los Angeles, was 75,312, a decrease of 0.3% from the previous year.

Measure H generates about $500 million a year, most of the money the county spends on homeless services such as mental health treatment, drug treatment and vocational counseling.

Estimates suggest that the new sales tax would raise more than $1 billion each year, with 60% of that going toward homeless services and nearly all of the rest going toward housing production.

The tax would become permanent unless repealed by another ballot measure.