Sally Reed
* Chief Administrative Officer Sally Reed is leaving Los Angeles County for a lesser state position with a $73,000 annual salary reduction. This fact should cause the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to ask why. One possible answer is that no capable executive officer can successfully fill the position of CAO under current county charter provisions.
No mention of an executive officer is contained in the charter. All executive and legislative authority is vested in the five-person Board of Supervisors. It is no wonder that major administrative blunders continue to occur when no single individual has the authority or responsibility to run the county.
A new multimillion-dollar jail is built but no funds are available for its operation. The county health care system continues to be racked by scandal, and general mal-administration. Other examples abound but nothing is done. Why? Because nobody is in charge!
The present county charter was established when the county was rural. Now it’s urban. When will we realize this and establish a charter that is ready for the 21st century?
ROBERT J. BANNING
Pasadena
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