United Way of Greater L.A. is proud to be a part of the Re-imagine L.A. County coalition. Over the past week we have joined forces with dedicated community advocates to push for structural changes to the L.A. County budget that would make sure our County Charter permanently prioritizes people who have been marginalized by generations of disinvestment and criminalization– especially Black and Latino county residents. Today the L.A. County Board of Supervisors begins the process of giving voters the chance to begin to undo the effects of structural racism.

We applaud the Supervisors’ decision to give voters a chance at cementing real, structural change to our county budget– with the final Board vote coming on August 4 to place the measure on the ballot.

Racial inequity has built up over generations in our communities, and thus will require decades of increased investment to reverse– extending well beyond any one budget or elected official’s term. It’s clear that people across L.A. County want to see more direct investment in underserved communities and a focus on supporting the most vulnerable people in our communities. This is a reasonable and common sense ballot measure that preserves flexibility while guaranteeing that we invest in proven strategies.

United Way of Greater L.A. is in strong support of Re-imagining L.A. County and will work hard to make sure the effort succeeds at the ballot box in November.