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Op-ed: Oppose the county initiative to defund public safety and unlawfully delegate control over the budget

by Opinion • July 31, 2020

By Michele Hanisee

The Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 in support of a charter amendment for the November ballot that would defund public safety and require a minimum of 10% of the County’s unrestricted general funds — ROUGHLY $880 MILLION — to be spent on direct community investment and alternatives to incarceration. The proponents on the Board are pushing this ballot initiative despite the fact they have the present ability to allocate any amount they want to these same programs on their own authority.

Lawyers for the union representing deputies sent a letter to the Board stating that the County is in violation of an employee relations ordinance requiring 90 days notice to labor unions of any amendment to the charter as well as state law requiring the County to “meet and confer” with the unions. Union lawyers also argued that the amendment unlawfully delegates budget authority to voters in violation of the California Constitution which states that elected officials “may not delegate to a private person or body power to make, control, appropriate, supervise, or interfere with county or municipal corporation improvements, money, or property, or to levy taxes or assessments, or perform municipal functions.”

Supervisor Kathryn Barger, supported by the League of California Cities, Contract Cities Association, Association of Deputy District Attorneys, Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs and SEIU, expressed significant concerns regarding the proposed charter amendment.

The Los Angeles Times called the proposal “an irresponsible last-minute ballot measure” and added “ballot-box budgeting of the sort the supervisors propose is a bad idea and poor substitute for careful study, deliberation and decision making.”

The County Chief Executive Office estimated that, if this proposed ballot initiative passes in November, the County could face a loss of approximately 700-1,000 positions across all County services during starting next year.

Several groups are prepared to launch legal action on the grounds of procedural and legal issues with the charter amendment. To read our letter and letters from various organizations opposed to the proposal that will jeopardize public safety, please click the hyperlinks below.

  • Association of Deputy District Attorneys
  • Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (Issued by their counsel)
  • California Contract Cities Association
  • League of California Cities
  • Coalition of Probation Unions
  • City of Calabasas
LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD!

The Board of Supervisors have one more reading of the motion next Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020, for a final vote. Please contact the Supervisors who are in favor of the referendum and let them know you oppose it!

Hilda L. Solis
Supervisor, First District
(213) 974-4111
E-mail: firstdistrict@bos.lacounty.gov

Mark Ridley-Thomas
Supervisor, Second District
(213) 974-2222
Email: SecondDistrict@bos.lacounty.gov

Sheila Kuehl
Supervisor, Third District
(213) 974-3333
sheila@bos.lacounty.gov

Janice Hahn
Supervisor, Fourth District
(213) 974-4444
Email: fourthdistrict@bos.lacounty.gov

Supervisor Kathryn Barger opposed the motion.

About the author: Michele Hanisee is President of the Association of Los Angeles Deputy District Attorneys, the collective bargaining agent representing nearly 1,000 Deputy District Attorneys who work for the County of Los Angeles.

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Filed Under: Opinion

3 comments for "Op-ed: Oppose the county initiative to defund public safety and unlawfully delegate control over the budget"

  1. Jazmin says

    August 19, 2020 at 9:31 pm

    … its about gen-y, gen-z millennial entitlement. They love to shoplift; they love to loot; they love the free stuff. They don’t want to have to work it. America’s best days well behind her, what it is ANTIFA and BLM regulars ultimately strive for is, the law of the jungle. Revisited, Sir Wm. Golding’s The Lord of the Flies –

  2. AV Resident says

    August 15, 2020 at 10:52 am

    Hell No, I won’t vote for this mess. I want the LA County Sheriff’s Office to Help us in time of Need. Defunding will not accomplish that. It will only enable criminals and they know that.
    Minorities need to get their Act Together. Stay in school, have a direction in life, stop unzipping it all day long to the irresponsible fathering of illegitimate children and baby momma’s on welfare ranks.
    County Supervisors just bending over and greasing it up for Lawlessness. Unacceptable !!!
    This pandering to BLM is ridiculous.

  3. Mike Murray says

    August 11, 2020 at 6:54 am

    Defund the Sheriff s department 10%? Are you kidding or are you people stupid? There is already many programs to help those that have been incarcerated to help them get back on your feet. We actually need more Deputies to keep up with the crime. When you call the sheriff because your house has been burglarized, it take many hours for them to show up. This is not acceptable!

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