County Official Opposes Plan for 7 Supervisors
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Richard Dixon, the county’s chief administrative officer, testified at a federal voting-rights trial Thursday in downtown Los Angeles that he has advised all five county supervisors against expanding the board to seven.
Dixon, testifying on behalf of the county, said that while there “doesn’t seem like an awful lot” of difference between a five- and seven-member board, “what you’re really talking about is interpersonal relationships.”
Dixon said expansion would complicate the board’s action, making it more “ponderous and slow-moving.” He said the supervisors, who manage a $9.7-billion budget, can function more effectively as a smaller group.
Plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit charge the county with drawing supervisorial districts along racial lines to dilute Latino voting strength.
They are seeking an expansion to provide a better chance of electing a Latino to the board.
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