Earlier this month, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors signed off on a bundle of changes aimed at pulling back the curtain on the county budget and making departmental hearings easier for residents to follow. The Governance Reform Task Force crafted the recommendations and timed them to plug into the fiscal year 2026–27 budget cycle. County leaders are urging residents to take part in public budget presentations that begin in February.
Board sign-off and next steps
The board formally received the Governance Reform Task Force’s recommendations and directed the County CEO to implement the pieces that can be put in place for the FY 2026–27 cycle, according to a Los Angeles County Board letter. The task force, after running its proposals through both internal and public review, unanimously approved the package at its December meeting.
“Measure G was about giving people a real voice in County government,” Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath said in a statement on her office website, praising the recommendations as a first step toward transparency.
Six priorities to demystify the budget
The reforms zero in on six priorities: consistent scheduling, public access to materials, simpler presentation formats, public education and engagement, performance evaluation, and longer-term process changes, as reported by the Santa Monica Daily Press. Short-term fixes include posting budget materials further in advance, spelling out public comment procedures more clearly, and improving ADA and language access. County officials intend these changes to be ready in time for the next budget cycle.
How the task force arrived at its recommendations
According to the task force report submitted to the board, the Governance Reform Task Force’s Public Budget Presentations subcommittee reviewed all departmental presentations from last year, conducted internal surveys of county staff, and put out a public survey that drew more than 1,800 responses to gauge comprehension and access. The report notes that the interim Year One process delivered only partial progress and left plenty of room for improvement, which helped shape the recommendations supervisors adopted.
The board letter also directs the CEO to report back within 180 days on how to carry out those steps that need additional planning before they can roll out.
How to watch and weigh in
Departmental budget presentations for the FY 2026–27 cycle are scheduled to start on Feb. 12, and the County CEO’s budget page includes details on livestream options and how to take part in public comment. The task force has recommended creating a centralized budget hub and a GovDelivery subscription option so residents can get alerts when new materials go up or hearing schedules change.
Officials say community groups, service providers and individual residents should use the new materials and the clarified comment procedures to make their priorities known early in the process.
Why this could matter to residents
The package is an early step in putting Measure G’s governance changes into practice, including new transparency requirements and a longer timeline of structural reforms for the county, according to the Measure G website. By standardizing when and how departments present their budgets and by improving plain language materials and accessibility, county leaders say residents will have clearer, earlier opportunities to weigh in on how tax dollars are spent.
The board and the Governance Reform Task Force indicate they will track outcomes over the next two fiscal years and bring back additional recommendations as needed.
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