Los Angeles County, Measure A, Removal of Sheriff for Cause Amendment (November 2022)

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Los Angeles County Measure A

Flag of California.png

Election date

November 8, 2022

Topic
County governance and Local charter amendments
Status

ApprovedApproved

Type
Referral


Los Angeles County Measure A was on the ballot as a referral in Los Angeles County on November 8, 2022. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported allowing the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, by a four-fifths vote, to remove the sheriff from office for cause, which is defined to include: violation of laws related to the sheriff's duties; repeated neglect of the sheriff's duties; misuse of public funds or properties; willful falsification of documents; or obstruction of an investigation into the department's conduct.  

A "no" vote opposed allowing the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, by a four-fifths vote, to remove the sheriff from office for cause.


Election results

Los Angeles County Measure A

Result Votes Percentage

Approved Yes

1,633,918 71.84%
No 640,361 28.16%
Results are officially certified.
Source


Overview

Measure A allowed the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to vote to remove the elected sheriff from office for cause. The vote requirement to remove the sheriff would be four-fifths. As of 2022, the County Board of Supervisors included five members, meaning an affirmative vote of four members would be needed. Measure A defined cause to include:[1]

  • violation of laws related to the sheriff's duties;
  • repeated neglect of the sheriff's duties;
  • misuse of public funds or properties;
  • willful falsification of documents; or
  • obstruction of an investigation into the department's conduct

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Measure A was as follows:

“

Charter Amendment – Providing Authority to Remove an Elected Sheriff for Cause.

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary for this measure was:

“ Shall the measure amending the County of Los Angeles Charter to grant the Board of Supervisors authority to remove an elected Sheriff from office for cause, including violation of law related to a Sheriff's duties, flagrant or repeated neglect of duties, misappropriation of funds, willful falsification of documents, or obstructing an investigation, by a four-fifths vote of the Board of Supervisors, after written notice and an opportunity to be heard, be adopted?”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.


Support

Supporters

Officials


Arguments

  • Los Angeles County Board Chairperson Holly Mitchell: "The issue of sheriff accountability before us is both urgent and systemic, having impacted past generations of Angelenos, but also with important consequences for the future. Unfortunately, the county has had long and troubling history with sheriff oversight and transparency."


Opposition

Opponents

Officials


Arguments

  • Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger: "Giving the Board of Supervisors authority to remove an elected sheriff unequivocally takes away power from the public. It's a move that has the potential to disenfranchise voters. It also overlooks the fact that a recall process already exists to remove elected officials who fail to perform their duties."
  • Sheriff Alex Villanueva: "This motion is a recipe for public corruption, particularly when `cause' remains so broad and undefined. Allowing political appointees with an agenda to determine `cause' is fundamentally flawed."


Background

Los Angeles County Measure R (2020)

See also: Los Angeles County, California, Measure R, Civilian Police Oversight Commission and Jail Plan Initiative (March 2020)

In March 2020, voters approved Los Angeles County Measure R, which authorized the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission to develop a plan designed to reduce jail population and incarceration and provided the commission with subpoena power to investigate complaints.[2]

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing local ballot measures in California

On August 2, 2022, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to place the charter amendment on the ballot.[3]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, "Ordinance," accessed August 30, 2022
  2. ↑ KTLA, "L.A. County Supervisors Approve Subpoena Power to Civilian Oversight Commission Amid Tensions With Sheriff," January 22, 2020
  3. ↑ Fox 11, "LA County Supervisors set ballot measure to give them authority to remove publicly elected sheriff," August 2, 2022
v • e
Local ballot measures in California
Counties
California
Analysis
Political topics
Tax measures
Flag of California
v • e
State of California
Sacramento (capital)
Elections

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2026 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Los_Angeles_County,_Measure_A,_Removal_of_Sheriff_for_Cause_Amendment_(November_2022)&oldid=9016572"