11.2: California Counties

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Counties of California (public domain; Erik Baas via Wikimedia).  Here is an alphabetical list. 

Organizing the Golden State

The borders of California’s 58 counties have been the same since 1907, when Imperial County was created from the eastern half of San Diego County. Establishing a new county or altering county borders requires, according to 1894 amendments to the California Constitution, a majority vote in the counties affected by the change. Before 1894, local groups could effectively lobby the California legislature to add counties or change their borders without the consent of the voters (“The History of California’s Counties”).

The rules governing the organization of county governments are dictated by state law (California Government Code). General law counties simply follow these rules. By majority vote, a county can declare itself a charter county, giving itself “home rule,” meaning more autonomy in organizing its government and policies. All counties are governed by a nonpartisan five-member board of supervisors whose members are elected to four-year terms. Nonpartisan elections for the sheriff, district attorney, and tax assessor are also required in all counties. General law counties typically have elections for additional offices, including the coroner, tax collector, auditor, and county clerk. In a charter county, the board of supervisors usually appoints these and many other positions to consolidate more power under its authority.

Counties are critical because just about all significant social, health, and educational programs we rely on are administered by county governments and agencies. The access and quality of services we receive as county residents depend on how well these governments function. According to the California State Controller’s Office, in the fiscal year 2020, counties spent close to $97 billion on a range of these services. These expenditures were paid for from local revenue sources such as property taxes and state and federal funds (“Counties Financial Data”).

A map of Los Angeles County (Figure 11.2.1) shows the incorporated cities, unincorporated areas, and the five supervisorial districts.  

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Los Angeles County (public domain; Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors) Here is a list of communities within each supervisorial district