Immediate Release

September 22, 2026 

Rose Institute Publishes Report: 

Measure G and the Remaking of the City-County Relationship in Los Angeles County

CLAREMONT, CA—The Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College has published a new report titled Measure G and the Remaking of the City-County Relationship in Los Angeles County. The report analyzes how major governance reforms approved by county voters in 2024, especially the creation of an elected office of County Executive, will affect the County’s relationship with its 88 cities. The Rose Institute partnered with the San Gabriel Valley City Managers’ Association on this project, which was funded by a grant from the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation.

Measure G is the most significant reform to Los Angeles County government in more than a century. Among other provisions, it will create an elected office of County Executive, expand the County Board of Supervisors from five to nine, and establish a new Ethics Commission. These reforms will redistribute executive and legislative authority, alter the management of county departments, and reshape how the county works with its 88 incorporated cities.

The Rose Institute focused on current interactions between cities and the County, especially in cities that contract with the County for services such as fire, sheriff, and public works. It also sought to understand how Measure G can be implemented to improve these relationships. The study was limited to 35 cities in eastern Los Angeles County, a subset of the County as a whole.  This approach allowed for in-depth research on city-county interactions.  The research largely relied on interviews with city managers, the primary points of contact between municipal and county government. 

The interviews and supplemental research yielded two main findings. First, cities presently have strong relationships with their supervisor and frequently engage with county departments, but seldom interact with the current County CEO’s office. Second, city managers generally support Measure G’s ethics reforms and of expansion of the Board of Supervisors, but they view the implementation of an elected County Executive with some trepidation. 

The Rose Institute developed several recommendations to promote a successful transition to the new system.

• The new elected County Executive’s office should have personnel responsible for the office’s communication and collaboration with cities.
• During the implementation process, the County should actively seek input from cities regarding the design of new governance structures.
• Cities should strengthen their collective capacity to work with the County on issues of common interest.
• A public-facing interactive visualization of intergovernmental and service delivery relationships among the County, its incorporated cities, and its unincorporated communities should be developed.

Rose Institute Director Ken Miller said, “This project highlights the critical importance of city-county relationship in Los Angeles County. Measure G will change this relationship and now’s the time for both sides to plan for a successful transition.” 

Measure G and the Remaking of the City-County Relationship in Los Angeles County is available at www.roseinstitute.cmc.edu.

Media contact:  Ken Miller, J.D., Ph.D., Director, Rose Institute of State and Local Government, [email protected], 909-607-7575.

About the Rose Institute of State and Local Government

The Rose Institute of State and Local Government was founded at Claremont McKenna College in 1973. A leading resource for information on California state and local governments, the Rose Institute pursues research projects on elections, government institutions, public opinion, and policy. It also maintains extensive state and local demographic, economic, and political databases. For more than 50 years, the Institute has fulfilled its mission to enhance the education of students at CMC, produce high quality research, and promote public understanding on issues of state and local government, politics, and policy, with an emphasis on California. For more information, visit https://roseinstitute.cmc.edu/.

About Claremont McKenna College

Claremont McKenna College is a private, 1,300-student residential liberal arts college located east of Los Angeles in Southern California. Since 1946, the College’s mission has been to prepare students for thoughtful and productive lives and responsible leadership in business, government, and the professions. Renowned for its Open Academy commitments to freedom of expression, viewpoint diversity, and constructive dialogue, as well as expertise in economics and government, Claremont McKenna also features an accomplished faculty of scholars and committed teachers in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Students are drawn to the College’s unparalleled offerings, including 11 research institutes and centers; the ability to conduct research one-on-one with faculty; and access to leaders, artists, and visionaries who engage with students at the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum. Claremont McKenna is a member of The Claremont Colleges. For more information, visit cmc.edu.