How Commissioners Are Selected

Chapter 2.55 of the Los Angeles County Code sets out who nominates each member of the Ethics Commission, who may serve, and how appointments are made. No single County official controls the Commission’s membership, and a majority of its members are chosen through a public application process.

Seat	Nominated by	Background	Initial term expires
1	Chair of the Board of Supervisors	Public policy or public law	June 30, 2030
2	Assessor	Campaign finance, accounting, auditing, compliance with ethics laws in the public or private sector, or protection of whistleblowers	June 30, 2027
3	Governance Reform Task Force; beginning January 1, 2029, the elected County Executive	Public information and public meetings, community outreach and engagement, or the use of technology in open government	June 30, 2029
4 and 5	The Ethics Commission, following a public recruitment and application process	Broadly representative of the general public	June 30, 2028
6 and 7	The Ethics Commission, following a public recruitment and application process	Broadly representative of the general public; at least one Commission-nominated member must live in an unincorporated area of the County	June 30, 2031

After the initial terms, every term is five years, beginning July 1 and ending June 30. A member who has served a full term may not be reappointed. A member whose term has ended may continue to serve for up to one year until a successor is appointed.

From Nomination to Appointment

The nominating authority names a nominee. For the four Commission seats, the Commission conducts a public recruitment, including outreach to underrepresented communities, and votes on its nominees at a public meeting.
Within 45 days of the nomination, the Board of Supervisors schedules a vote to appoint or reject the nominee. If the Board does not act within 45 days, the nominee is deemed appointed.
The appointed commissioner takes office for the term of the seat.

Nominating authorities consider a nominee’s analytical skills, ability to be impartial and appreciation for the County’s diverse demographics, and give weight to lived experience and community leadership as well as professional expertise. Commissioners may not discuss whom the Commission should nominate with County elected officials or their representatives, except that an elected official may comment at a public meeting of the Commission.

Who May Serve

Each commissioner must be a resident of Los Angeles County. A person may not be appointed who, in the two years before appointment, was:

A County elected official, or the spouse, registered domestic partner, parent, sibling or child of one;
An employee of, or paid consultant to, a County elected official;
A candidate for County elected office, or an employee of or paid consultant to such a candidate or the candidate’s campaign committee;
An officer or paid employee of a political party;
A registered County lobbyist; or
A major donor as defined by the Political Reform Act, or a contributor of more than $1,000 in total to candidates for County elected office.

Restrictions During and After Service

While serving, commissioners may not seek election to County office, or to any other elected office in a jurisdiction that overlaps the County; endorse, support, oppose, contribute to or work for any candidate or ballot measure in a County election, or any County elected official running for office; serve as an officer or employee of a political party; act as a County lobbyist or employ one; hold employment or a contract with a County elected official, or accept a gift or compensation from one; or receive a no-bid contract from the County. The restrictions on County lobbying, relationships with County elected officials and no-bid contracts continue for one year after service, and the restriction on seeking County elected office continues for two years. The same restrictions apply to the Ethics Compliance Officer.

Removal and Vacancies

A commissioner may be removed only for cause: substantial neglect of duty, gross misconduct in office, inability to discharge the duties of the office, or violation of Chapter 2.55. The Commission may recommend removal to the Board of Supervisors by a vote of at least five of its members, after written notice to the member and an opportunity to reply.

A seat becomes vacant if a member dies, resigns, moves out of the County, is removed, is convicted of a felony, or misses three consecutive regular meetings without the written permission of the Commission’s President. The Ethics Compliance Officer notifies the nominating authority within seven days, and the replacement serves the rest of the term. Beginning January 1, 2027, if the Chair of the Board, the Assessor or the County Executive does not nominate a replacement within 120 days of a vacancy, or within 120 days after the Board rejects a nominee, the Commission may nominate a candidate itself by a vote of at least four members, applying the same background requirement.

Filling the Remaining Four Seats

The first three commissioners will nominate the Commission’s remaining four members at a public meeting following a public recruitment and application process. Information on the application period, eligibility and public interviews will be posted on this page and sent to email subscribers.

Commissioners

How Commissioners Are Selected