Bid to Increase Number of County Supervisors Gains

A state Senate committee approved a constitutional amendment Wednesday that if approved by voters statewide would expand Los Angeles County’s Board of Supervisors from five to nine members.

The Senate Local Government Committee on a 5-1 vote approved the bill by Sen. Richard Polanco, (D-los Angeles), which would require counties with more than 5 million residents to have at least nine county supervisors.

Polanco and other critics have said that Los Angeles’ supervisors represent too many people to provide effective government. Three prior attempts to expand the board failed with Los Angeles voters, and the current board has been reluctant to place the question before voters again, forcing legislators in Sacramento to take the unorthodox move of placing on the state ballot.

Analysts are skeptical that California voters would approve the expansion but a Polanco spokesman said he believes the issue would have a good chance of succeeding.