Meeting_Body
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
JANUARY 15, 2026
Preamble
Motion by:
DIRECTORS DUTRA, BARGER, HORVATH, PADILLA, NAJARIAN, AND DUPONT-WALKER
Metro Governance Review Motion
In November 2024, voters in Los Angeles County (County) approved Measure G, a voter-initiated charter amendment that significantly restructured County governance by providing for the creation of an elected County Executive, the expansion of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and related reforms. Under existing law, if the number of members of the County Board of Supervisors is increased, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is required to submit a plan to the legislature for revising the composition of the Metro Board within 60 days of the increase.
The passage of Measure G has prompted renewed discussion regarding the structure, composition, and representational frameworks of major regional governing bodies operating within the County.
Metro serves a geographically expansive and demographically diverse constituency encompassing 88 incorporated cities and extensive unincorporated areas, and its Board of Directors exercises critical oversight of regionwide transportation planning, investment, and policy decisions that affect residents across the County.
Accordingly, it is essential that Metro’s Board composition continue to reflect the diversity and geographic breadth of the County it serves, and that any consideration of potential changes be guided by principles of geographic equity, balanced representation, cost neutrality and jurisdictional inclusion.
Any review of Metro’s Board structure should be conducted in a transparent manner and led by Metro itself, consistent with its statutory authority and regional role. In this context, an Ad Hoc Committee has been established to review the current Board composition in a transparent and locally-driven manner. The Committee’s deliberations and recommendations should be informed by relevant comparative, historical, and demographic context.
Subject
SUBJECT: METRO GOVERNANCE REVIEW MOTION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
APPROVE Motion By Dutra, Barger, Horvath, Padilla, Najarian, and Dupont-Walker that the Board direct the Chief Executive Officer to:
A. A benchmarking analysis of peer transit agencies of comparable size, scope, and governance complexity, including a summary of each agency’s governing board composition, appointment or selection structure, voting authority, and any relevant statutory or local governance provisions;
B. An overview of the governing body composition of other major public agencies operating within the Los Angeles Metropolitan region, particularly those with regionwide responsibilities or significant public investment oversight, to provide local context on common approaches to representation and jurisdictional participation;
C. An explanation of the historical context for Metro’s current Board composition, including agency consolidation and the evolution of the agency’s governance structure and key considerations that shaped representation;
D. A compilation of basic demographic and jurisdictional context for Los Angeles County, including a snapshot of incorporated cities and unincorporated areas, population distribution, and governance geography, presented for informational purposes to support the Committee’s understanding of regional representation; and
E. A plan for community and stakeholder engagement, including but not limited to Los Angeles County Councils of Government, to ensure any recommendation reflects the diverse viewpoints of local residents, organizations, and municipalities.