Fesia Davenport, Los Angeles County’s chief govt officer, obtained a $2-million settlement this summer time attributable to skilled fallout from Measure G, a voter-approved poll measure that can quickly make her job out of date, in accordance with a letter she wrote to the county’s prime lawyer.
Davenport wrote within the July 8 letter, which was launched by the county counsel by way of a public report request Tuesday, that she had been searching for $2 million in damages for “reputational hurt, embarrassment, and bodily, emotional and psychological misery attributable to the Measure G.”
Beneath Measure G, which voters authorized final November, the county chief govt, who manages the county authorities and oversees its funds, will probably be elected by voters as a substitute of appointed by the board. The elected county govt will probably be in place by 2028.
“Measure G is an unprecedented occasion, and has had, and can proceed to have, an unprecedented influence on my skilled repute, well being, profession, earnings, and retirement,” Davenport wrote to county counsel Dawyn Harrison. “My hope is that after setting apart the quantity of my ask, that there is usually a true deal with what the actual points are right here – measure G has irrevocably modified my life, my skilled profession, financial outlook, and plans for the longer term.”
The existence of the $2-million settlement, finalized in mid-August, was first reported Tuesday by LAist. It was unclear then what the settlement was for.
Davenport, a longtime county worker, was appointed chief govt in 2021.
Beneath the phrases of the settlement, Davenport can’t sue the county, together with for “any claims arising out of the information and circumstances surrounding the enactment of the poll proposition often called ‘Measure G.’ ”
Davenport started a medical depart final week and advised employees she expects to be again early subsequent 12 months. She didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon the settlement.
Davenport’s Aug. 12 letter said that different division heads had obtained important funds upon departure. She famous the prior chief govt officer, Sachi Hamai, had obtained $1.5 million. The letter additionally makes an obvious reference to Mary Wickham and Rodrigo Castro-Silva, mentioning the previous county attorneys by their final names.
Wickham obtained about $449,000 in severance pay and Castro-Silva obtained $213,000, in accordance with data obtained by The Instances.
“My circumstance is completely different in that I’m not searching for to depart, and I’ve suffered damages, by way of no fault of my very own,” she wrote.
Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn first introduced Measure G in July 2024, branding it as a long-overdue overhaul to the county’s sluggish paperwork. Beneath the constitution modification, the variety of supervisors elevated to 9 and the county chief govt will now be elected.
On Aug. 12, 2024, just a few weeks after the announcement, Davenport wrote a letter to Horvath saying the measure had impugned her “skilled repute” and would finish her profession at the least two years sooner than she anticipated, in accordance with one other letter launched Tuesday by way of a public data request.
“This has been a troublesome six weeks for me,” Davenport wrote in her letter. “It has created uncomfortable, awkward interactions between me and my CEO crew (they’re involved), me and different departments heads (they’re apologetic), and even County outsiders (they assume I’m being fired).”
Horvath’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The place of elected CEO was by far essentially the most controversial a part of Measure G. Supporters stated that making the chief govt elected moderately than appointed would deliver extra accountability to one of many county’s strongest posts. Opponents warned it might consolidate an excessive amount of energy with one particular person and convey politics right into a basically bureaucratic place.
