The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved sweeping reforms this month aimed at making the county's budget process more transparent and accessible to residents.
The changes, recommended by the Governance Reform Task Force, will affect budget hearings beginning with the fiscal year 2026-27 cycle. The task force unanimously approved the recommendations Dec. 10.
The reforms target six key areas: structured and consistent scheduling, transparency and public access to materials, accessible presentation materials, public education and engagement, performance evaluation, and long-term process considerations.
"Measure G was about giving people a real voice in County government and creating the transparency we urgently need," said Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath. "These recommendations reflect months of work by the Governance Reform Task Force and Public Budget Hearing Subcommittee."
Horvath said the changes will make budget hearings "easier to understand, more accessible, and more meaningful for residents and the Board."
The reforms come as counties nationwide face pressure to improve government transparency and public participation. Los Angeles County's budget process has long been criticized as difficult for ordinary residents to understand and engage with.
Supervisor Janice Hahn emphasized the connection between the reforms and Measure G, a governance initiative focused on making county government more democratic.
"County government can get stuck in its ways — especially when it comes to the budget," Hahn said. "So, the Government Reform Task Force has been focused on how we can demystify the budget and address things that have made the County budget process hard to understand and hard to get involved in."
She added: "If we don't get the budget right, we can't get our residents the services they depend on."
The task force conducted extensive research before making its recommendations, including reviewing all of last year's budget hearings, conducting internal and external surveys, researching budget best practices from other jurisdictions, and analyzing various proposals.
Many short-term recommendations can be implemented immediately for fiscal year 2026-27. These include improvements to scheduling, posting of materials, public comment procedures, presentation formats, accessibility features, and educational materials.
Longer-term recommendations will require additional planning and focus on evaluating departmental performance and potential structural reforms to the budget process itself.
Marcel Rodarte, chair of the Governance Reform Task Force, called the approved recommendations "the first step in reforming County governance by making the budget process more accessible to communities and stakeholders."
Rodarte, who was appointed by Hahn, said he expects more recommendations to follow.
County officials are encouraging community members to participate in upcoming budget hearings, which begin Feb. 12. The hearings represent an opportunity for residents to weigh in on how tax dollars are spent.
More information about the task force and future meetings is available at measureg.lacounty.gov.