Government of Los Angeles County facts for kids

The Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration where the Board of Supervisors meets.

The Government of Los Angeles County helps run things in Los Angeles County. It gets its power from the California Constitution and state laws. A lot of what the Government of California does is actually handled by county governments like this one.

The Los Angeles County government provides many important services. These include things like elections, keeping people safe with law enforcement, running jails, and managing health care. They also help with social services and collecting taxes. For areas in the county that don't have their own city government (called "unincorporated areas"), the County government acts as their local government.

The County government is made up of several parts. There's an elected group of five people called the Board of Supervisors. There are also other elected officials like the Sheriff, the District Attorney, and the Assessor. Many different departments work under the Chief Executive Officer.

Some cities in Los Angeles County, like Los Angeles and Inglewood, have their own services. They have their own police, libraries, and parks. Other cities might ask the County to provide some or all of these services for them. Also, the Los Angeles Superior Court is part of the state government, but it covers all of Los Angeles County.

How Los Angeles County Government Works

The Board of Supervisors

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (BOS) is like the main governing body for the county. It has five members, and they are all elected by the people. The Board makes laws, manages county departments, and makes important decisions.

They can pass rules for areas that aren't part of any city. For rules that affect the whole county, like how restaurants are rated, cities need to agree to them. The Board also tells county departments what to do. They are also the final decision-makers for some local planning issues. They hold public meetings to discuss different topics.

Here are the board members as of 2 December 2008:

• Hilda Solis, district 1
• Mark Ridley-Thomas, district 2
• Sheila Kuehl, district 3
• Janice Hahn, district 4
• Kathryn Barger, district 5

Sometimes, people jokingly call the Board the "five little kings."

Elected County Officials

Besides the Board of Supervisors, there are other important officials elected by the people. These roles are set up by the California Constitution and state laws.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff

The Los Angeles County Sheriff is like the main police force for areas that don't have their own city police. They also provide police services for many cities that choose to pay the County for this help. This idea started in 1954 with the city of Lakewood, California. It's known as the Lakewood Plan. Out of 88 cities in Los Angeles County, 40 use the Sheriff's Department for their law enforcement.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney

The Los Angeles County District Attorney handles serious crimes, called felonies, that happen anywhere in Los Angeles County. This includes both cities and unincorporated areas. They also handle less serious crimes, called misdemeanors, in unincorporated areas. Some cities also ask the County to handle their misdemeanor cases. For example, the City of Los Angeles has its own city attorney for most misdemeanor crimes within the city.

The Los Angeles County Assessor

The Los Angeles County Assessor finds and values all taxable property in Los Angeles County. This helps determine how much property tax people need to pay. They list all the property and its value on a special record.

Other Important County Departments

Chief Executive Officer

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) helps the Board of Supervisors with the daily running of the county. The CEO suggests ideas to the Board. This person directly oversees many of the county's departments. However, some departments, like the Sheriff's Department and the District Attorney's office, report directly to the Board.

Public Safety Services

• Los Angeles County Coroner: This office investigates deaths that happen without a doctor present. They perform autopsies to find out why someone died.
• Los Angeles County Public Defender: This office provides legal help to people accused of crimes who cannot afford a lawyer.

Health Services

• Los Angeles County Department of Health Services: This department runs several county hospitals and clinics. They also manage public health care programs.
• Los Angeles County Department of Public Health: This department works to keep the public healthy.
• Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health: This department provides mental health services.
• L.A. Care Health Plan: This is a non-profit health plan that helps people in Los Angeles County get affordable health care.

Children and Family Services

• Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services: This department manages foster care for children who need a safe home.
• Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services: This department helps people with various state and federal support programs. These include programs like Medi-Cal (health care) and CalFresh (food assistance).

Community Services

• Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors: This department manages the county's beaches and harbors.
• Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation: This department takes care of public parks. It also runs the largest public golf course system in the U.S.
• Los Angeles County Department of Public Works: This department manages the county's flood control system. They also build and maintain roads in unincorporated areas.
• Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning: This department handles planning for unincorporated areas. They have rules for land use and help with building regulations.
• Los Angeles County Public Library: This department runs a large network of public libraries across the county.

County Operations

• The Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector: This office is in charge of sending out tax bills and collecting taxes. The Board of Supervisors appoints this person.
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art: This is a public art museum.

Independent County Entities

• Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller: This office makes sure taxes are given to the right places, like cities and schools. They also handle financial reports. The Board of Supervisors appoints this person.
• Community Development Commission of the County of Los Angeles: This group helps with housing and community development. They have programs for residents and businesses in unincorporated areas and some cities.
• Los Angeles County Fire Department: This department provides fire protection and emergency medical services.
  • Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard Division: This division provides lifeguard services (you might know them from the TV show Baywatch).
• Los Angeles County Probation Department: This department supervises people who are on probation.
• Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs: This department helps consumers with issues like fraud and identity theft. They offer counseling and mediation services.
• Los Angeles County Board of Education: This board sets policies for the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE). They also appoint the Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools. LACOE also runs special high schools like the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.
• Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA): This group manages retirement benefits for county employees.

Other Governments in Los Angeles County

California State Government

Many parts of the State Senate and State Assembly districts are located within Los Angeles County. These are the state lawmakers who represent the people of the county in the state capital.

The Los Angeles Superior Court covers the entire county. It is part of the state's court system, not a county department. The courthouses used to be run by the county. But now, the state government manages them directly. The county still helps with courthouse security.

City of Los Angeles Government

The City of Los Angeles government has its own rules, set by the Charter of the City of Los Angeles. It has a Los Angeles City Council with 15 districts and an elected Mayor of Los Angeles. This is called a mayor-council government. There are also other elected officials like the Los Angeles City Attorney and the Los Angeles City Controller.

The city also has many departments. These include the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), and the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL).

School Districts

Los Angeles County has many different school districts. Each district manages its own schools.

Special Districts

The Los Angeles Local Agency Formation Commission (LALAFCo) helps manage special districts in Los Angeles County. These are smaller government groups that provide specific services, like water or sanitation.

History of Los Angeles County Government

The current rules for Los Angeles County government were first suggested in 1912. People voted on them in November 1912, and they officially started in June 1913. This was important because it was the first time a local government in California was given "Home Rule" power. This means the county could make more of its own decisions without needing state approval for everything.