A Bureaucrat’s Days May Be Numbered : But even ousting Dixon won’t solve what’s wrong with the county

The tenure of one of the most powerful local government bureaucrats in the nation, Los Angeles County Chief Administrative Officer Richard B. Dixon, may be nearing an end. If he goes--still a big if--it might improve local government hereabouts, but only in the short term. More fundamental reform is needed.

A Los Angeles County Grand Jury report that harshly criticized Dixon’s lavish spending and unchecked powers and a desperate bid for reelection by 4th District Supervisor Deane Dana have combined to make Dixon less secure. Dana was one of the CAO’s supporters on the board, a fact used against him by Gordana Swanson, his opponent in November’s election. That’s apparently why Dana announced this week that he would try to have Dixon fired next Tuesday if the CAO does not resign first.

It remains to be seen whether Dixon will be ousted soon. Only Dana and Supervisor Gloria Molina are committed to firing him, and three votes are needed on the five-person board. But even if Dana’s threat fails, the issue will surely come up again after November because both of the candidates to succeed retiring Supervisor Kenneth Hahn have called for Dixon’s ouster. If Dana keeps his word, it appears to be only a matter of time until the county has a new administrator--we hope one more careful with taxpayer money, more open about how he or she spends it and a whole lot more sensitive.

But a new CAO will not obviate the need for deeper changes. Despite enormous changes in the region, the county’s administrative structure remains fundamentally the same as it was 150 years ago.

Two proposals, which still must be approved by the federal Department of Justice to get on the November ballot, will make needed changes in county government by increasing accountability and representation.

One involves creating smaller supervisorial districts by expanding the board to seven or nine members. The measure will be drafted to contain costs by requiring that any appropriations for the larger board be funded out of the same total budget that supports the current board.

Another proposal would replace the CAO with an elected county executive. That change will allow the supervisors to focus on the job of legislating--committee meetings, long-range planning and responding to public concerns--rather than trying to oversee the daily details of county government. That’s why some current board members lazily surrendered so much power to Dixon.

We hope both proposals make it onto the November ballot, because the voters deserve a chance to reform a badly outdated system.