New county supes – New leadership soon

It’s no secret. Los Angeles County is huge. And following this year’s elections, it will also have new leadership.
Retiring from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is Gloria Molina and Zev Yaroslavsky. And being term-limited are Don Knabe and Michael Antonovich.
The end is coming quickly for Molina, who represents the First District, and Yaroslavsky, with the election taking place during the June primary election. The run-off will take place during the November general election.
So, who will replace themA!X
Former U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis served that post under President Obama from 2009 through 2013 and was the first Latino women in the U.S. Cabinet.
She also served as a member of Congress and said she wants to focus on creating jobs and economic development, in addition to working on law enforcement and children’s issues.
El Monte Council Member Juventino “J” Gomez is also vying for the First District seat. He has served as a Los Angeles County employee for nearly 40 years, including serving as Antonovich’s deputy in the San Gabriel Valley.
Challenging Gomez and Solis is April Saucedo Hood. Hood is a law enforcement officer with the Long Beach Unified School District. Before that, she was a patrol officer in the Downey Police Department.
The First District includes East Los Angeles, Bell, El Monte, La Puente, West Covina, Baldwin Park, Pomona and Claremont.
The Third District includes most of the San Fernando Valley, but also some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the country, including Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Brentwood and the Pacific Palisades.
Former state lawmaker Sheila Kuehl, former Santa Monica Mayor Bobby Shriver, West Hollywood Councilman John Duran and former Malibu Mayor Pamela Conley Ulich have faced off in several debates.
Also running are former television producer Eric Preven, environmentalist Douglas Fay, math tutor Yuval Daniel Kremer, and Hollywood lighting technician Rudy Melendez.
According to a published report, Los Angeles County has more than 10 million people with more than 4,000 square miles, is more populous than all but seven states, and its board manages an annual budget of about $25 billion.
Supervisors wield both executive and legislative powers, and are in charge of implementing not only county programs, but also federal and state programs, including the Affordable Health Care Act, according to that report.
They administer the budget of the independently elected sheriff, and manage dozens of departments that provide law enforcement, emergency response, health care, welfare services, housing, environmental protection, restaurant inspections and many other aspects of daily life, according to that report.
They oversee the county’s foster care and juvenile justice systems, and operate several hospitals, parks, animal shelters and senior centers. And supervisors also serve on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the county’s vast mass transit system, according to that report.
(Shel Segal can be reached at ssegal@beaconmedianews.com. He can be followed via Twitter @segallanded.)

-Story by Shel Segal

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