Chair of Los Angeles County facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chair of Los Angeles County
Flag of Los Angeles
Seal of Los Angeles
Incumbent Lindsey Horvath since December 5, 2023
Government of Los Angeles County
Style	Madam Chair
Residence	None
Inaugural holder	N/A
Website	https://bos.lacounty.gov/

The Chair of Los Angeles County is like the leader of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. This person helps run the county government every day. The Chair is also in charge of meetings for the Board of Supervisors. Each member of the Board takes a turn being the Chair for one year. One former Chair, Michael D. Antonovich, even called himself the Mayor of Los Angeles County.

History of the Chair's Role

The Chair of the Board of Supervisors serves for one year. For a long time, the job of Chair rotated among board members based on how long they had served. But in 2015, the Board decided to change this. Now, the rotation is based on the different districts they represent.

Sometimes, special situations come up. For example, when Sheila Kuehl was going to retire, her turn as Chair would have started after she left the Board. So, Janice Hahn was chosen to be Chair instead. Then, Lindsey Horvath became the "Chair Pro Tem" (which means temporary Chair). This allowed Horvath to become the main Chair the next year. Kathryn Barger then became Chair Pro Tem to keep the district rotation going.

A supervisor's term usually lasts four years. This means every board member gets to be Chair at least once during their time on the Board. Only Michael D. Antonovich used the title "Mayor" when he was Chair. Others have not continued this tradition.

New Ideas for Electing the Chair

Former supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky had ideas to change how the Board works. He wanted to make the Board bigger. He also thought the Chair should be elected by all the voters in Los Angeles County, not just rotated among the Board members. This is similar to how the "County Executive" is chosen in King County, Washington.

In October 2022, there was a big discussion about the Los Angeles City Council. This led to Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Holly Mitchell suggesting a similar idea to Yaroslavsky's. They proposed expanding the Board and having the Chair elected by everyone. Their goal was to make sure all parts of the county were better represented in the government.

Chairs of Los Angeles County

Here are the people who have served as Chair (or Mayor) of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors:

What the Chair Does

The Chair of Los Angeles County has several important jobs. They make sure meetings run smoothly and fairly. Here are some of their main duties:

• They lead the Board Room and decide where members sit.
• They keep order during meetings and can ask people to leave if they are causing problems.
• They make sure only enough people are in the Board Room to fit in the seats. No one is allowed to stand.
• They can decide how long people can speak during public discussions, with the Board's agreement.
• They try to give equal time to different sides of an argument when people are speaking.
• They can limit how long a person speaks to make sure everyone who wants to can share their thoughts.
• They can approve only one "Set Matter" (a specific topic for discussion) per meeting. More than one needs the Board's approval.
• If someone wants to talk about a private case from the Department of Children and Family Services, the Chair must explain that the Board cannot change court decisions. They also make sure private information is not shared in public.

How the Chair is Chosen

The way the Chair is chosen depends on the year.

• On the first Monday in December of even-numbered years, the "Chair Pro Tem" (temporary Chair) automatically becomes the new Chair. They serve until a new Chair is chosen.
• If there is no Chair Pro Tem, the Board will vote to elect a new Chair for that time.
• If the Chair's term ends in an odd-numbered year, the new Chair is chosen at 9:30 a.m. on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in December.