On Tuesday, the LA County Board of Supervisors came one step closer to giving up some power for the sake of efficiency.
 
Supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Don Knabe’s motion transfers the power of hiring and firing most non-elected county officials, with board approval, to the county’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). The concept is referred to as the “strong CAO model.” The current power to hire and fire is vested with the five supervisors. The Supes motion will come back next Tuesday for a final vote.
 
LA County’s CAO, David Janssen, Ph. D., retired but was brought back by the Supes due to a failed effort to seek his replacement. Supporting Supes argue that the strong CAO format streamlines county government by placing accountability in one person, the CAO, at the administrative level. This is major restructuring given the fact that 39 departments currently report to the five elected Supervisors. Supervisor Antonovich is on the opposing side arguing the creation of a strong CAO expands government to the tune of $1.7 million.
 
I disagree. The $1.7 million is a small investment from the county’s $20 billion budget to streamline the reporting process and accountably chain within the massive structure of leading the county’s 90,000-plus employees. Supervisor Don Knabe sums up my argument best in his March 2007 monthly message to his constituents:
 
Imagine a Fortune 500 company that did not have a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) within its corporate structure. Rather than a single leader at the top of the organization, dozens of division heads report directly to the corporation’s Board of Directors instead of to a CEO. Instead of that Board being singularly focused on setting policy and direction for the company and representing the interests of the shareholders, they must also narrowly focus their attention on the day-to-day business of running the company.

Frankly, it’s a scenario that does not work. That’s why you have CEO’s to run the daily business of companies in Corporate America. Therefore, one would think a strong Chief Executive would also exist in Los Angeles County, America’s largest County.

With over 90,000 employees and an annual budget of over $20 billion, Los Angeles County rivals the size of any of our nation’s largest businesses. Yet, under our existing structure, our equivalent of a CEO, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), has limited authority. The directors of the more than three dozen County departments do not report to the CAO. Instead they report directly to the Board of Supervisors. As a result, 39 different department heads report directly to the Board and in turn, those 39 department heads have five different bosses.

The time has come to empower the CAO with the responsibilities and oversight of the daily operations of the County. That is why I have recently introduced a proposal to create a much stronger Chief Administrative Officer. My joint recommendation with Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky calls for a Charter Amendment to the County Code to be placed before the voters during the next Countywide election in June 2008. The Amendment would do the following: transfer to the CAO the authority for hiring, firing and disciplining of department heads, establish that non-elected department heads will report to the CAO, establish a clause that guarantees the Board of Supervisors will not interfere with the CAO, and change the name of the position to “Chief Executive Officer.”

Although dozens of County departments would report to the CEO under this proposal, certain departments would not be included. These include the elected independent department heads, such as the Sheriff, Assessor and District Attorney, as well as departments that would continue to report to the Board of Supervisors, including the CEO, the Executive Officer of the Board, the Auditor-Controller, and County Counsel.

This proposal represents good public policy for Los Angeles County and provides a clear and efficient chain of command and accountability. By giving our top administrator more power to run the day-to-day business of County agencies, it ensures the Board of Supervisors can remain fully focused on the interests of the taxpayers and citizens they represent.

DON KNABE
Supervisor, Fourth District
County of Los Angeles
March 2007
 
Disclosure: I am on contract with Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe working with his press office to build and maintain their online constituent communication tool: www.knabe.com