In response to growing calls for government reform, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to begin a process that could lead to expanding its size from the current five members.

Right now, each supervisor represents about 2 million people — more than the populations of 13 states, including West Virginia, New Hampshire, and Hawaii.

“Having more seats at the table means that more and different voices can be part of the conversation,” said Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, co-sponsor of the motion. With more supervisors, “each district will have greater access to their supervisor,” she said.

The motion calls for the hiring of a consultant “with a background in academia and/or policy with expertise at the intersection of government and equity” to examine in part “potential changes to the structure of the Board, including expansion of the Board to achieve more equitable representation.”

“I am absolutely open to it,” Supervisor Holly Mitchell, the other co-sponsor, told LAist. But she also noted that voters turned down efforts to increase the size of the board in the past, “so I think we need to look at why.”

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