To our friends and colleagues in the Los Angeles community:

Almost 50 years ago, the Haynes Foundation funded and supported a blue-ribbon nongovernmental Public Commission on Los Angeles County Government to examine the county’s governance structure. The Commission was formally created by the Los Angeles Bar Association and was independent of local government.

The Commission undertook a wide range of research, sought public input, identified governance problems, and offered recommendations for change.

The Commission’s final report, To Serve Seven Million, has considerable resonance for governance reform half a century later.

The Foundation has created this online version of the report, for your reference. We hope you will find it useful. Please feel free to share it widely.

Dr. Raphe Sonenshein, Executive Director