Chair of Los Angeles County facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chair of Los Angeles County |
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Flag of Los Angeles
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Seal of Los Angeles
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 Kathryn Barger since December 3, 2024 |
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| Government of Los Angeles County | |
| Style | Madam Chair |
| Residence | None |
| Inaugural holder | Samuel Arbuckle |
| Website | https://bos.lacounty.gov/ |
The Chair of Los Angeles County is like the main leader for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. This person helps manage the daily work of the county government. They lead the meetings of the Board of Supervisors, which is a group of five elected officials who make important decisions for Los Angeles County. Sometimes, this role was also called the Mayor of Los Angeles County.
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History of the County Chair
The Chair of Los Angeles County serves for one year. For a long time, the job of Chair rotated among the board members based on how long they had been serving. However, in 2015, the board decided to change this. Now, the Chair role rotates based on the different districts the supervisors represent.
A supervisor usually serves a four-year term. This means that every supervisor gets a chance to be the Chair at least once during their time on the board. One past Chair, Michael D. Antonovich, used to call himself "Mayor" during his term. This practice is not continued by the current Chairs.
What is Measure G?
On November 12, 2024, voters in Los Angeles County approved something called Measure G. This measure changed the rules for how Los Angeles County is run. Because of Measure G, a new position called the County Executive will be created in 2028. This new County Executive will take over the responsibilities of both the County Chair and the CEO.
Who Has Been Chair?
The role of County Chair has existed since 1852. Before that, the county was managed by the Los Angeles County Court of Sessions. The Chair's term length has changed over the years, sometimes being one year and sometimes two. In 1974, the position of Chair Pro Tem (like a vice-chair) was created to help the Chair.
Here are some of the people who have served as Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors:
| No. | Chair/Mayor | Party | Term Start | Term End | Notes | Chair/Mayor Pro Tem | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The County Board of Supervisors and the County Chair were formed in 1852. | ||||||||
| Chair elected for a 1-year term | Chair Pro Tem office was established in 1974 | |||||||
| 1 | Samuel Arbuckle | Unknown | December 7, 1852 | December 6, 1853 | Chair | |||
| 108 | Janice Hahn | Democratic | December 6, 2022 | December 5, 2023 | Chair | Lindsey Horvath | Democratic | |
| 109 | Lindsey Horvath | Democratic | December 5, 2023 | December 3, 2024 | Chair | Kathryn Barger | Republican | |
| 110 | Kathryn Barger | Republican | December 3, 2024 | Incumbent | Chair | Hilda Solis | Democratic | |
What Does the Chair Do?
The Chair has several important jobs to make sure the Board of Supervisors runs smoothly. These duties include:
- Making sure the meeting room is organized and assigning seats for the board members.
- Keeping order during meetings and preventing disruptions. The Chair can ask people to leave if their behavior is not acceptable.
- Ensuring that only a safe number of people can attend public meetings in the Board Room.
- Deciding how much time is allowed for public discussions on topics, with the board's agreement.
- Trying to give equal time to different viewpoints when people want to speak about an issue.
- Limiting how long one person can speak during public discussions so that everyone who wants to can have a turn.
- Approving a limited number of special topics for each board meeting.
- Guiding people who want to talk about sensitive topics, like those involving the Department of Children and Family Services. The Chair explains that the board cannot change court decisions and that private information must be kept confidential.
How the Chair is Chosen
The Chair Pro Tem automatically becomes the new Chair at noon on the first Monday in December of even-numbered years. They serve until a new Chair is chosen. If there is no Chair Pro Tem, the Board elects a new Chair. If the Chair's term ends in an odd-numbered year, the new Chair is chosen on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in December.
