New County Seal Will Cost $700,000, L.A. Officials Say

A controversial decision to remove a tiny golden cross from the Los Angeles County seal will cost about $700,000, county officials announced Thursday.

The Board of Supervisors voted 3 to 2 last month to adopt a new design after the American Civil Liberties Union threatened to sue the county over the use of a religious symbol on a government seal.

The county seal adorns buildings, cars, employee uniforms, letterhead and official websites.

The new seal also removed the goddess Pomona and the oil derricks of Signal Hill to make room for the San Gabriel Mission and a Native American woman holding a bowl of acorns.

The proposal to replace the current seal, which was designed in 1956, triggered angry protests at public meetings where residents condemned it as rewriting history.

Supervisors Don Knabe and Mike Antonovich voted against the new seal. But the other three supervisors voted for the change on the advice of county lawyers, who argued that a battle with the ACLU would probably result in defeat.

Several courts have already ruled that depictions of religious symbols on government property are an unconstitutional endorsement of Christianity.

County officials expect to replace most depictions of the seal over the next year or two. New seals have begun appearing on some county letterhead and will soon be on county buildings, banners, stickers and other logos.

The changes on other equipment and materials, such as uniforms and business cards, will be phased in as they are replaced.