Frequently Asked Questions - City and County Comparisons
QUESTION: How big an area do my local government representatives serve?
The five County Supervisors govern over 4,000 square miles. The five Santa Clarita Councilmembers govern about 52 square miles.
QUESTION: How big a population do my five elected representatives serve?
The five County Supervisors govern nearly 11 million people. They provide all local government services for over one million people in unincorporated sections of Los Angeles County.
The five Santa Clarita Councilmembers govern appropriately 177,000 people.
QUESTION: How big is the budget for my present local government, Los Angeles County, versus my prospective new government, the City of Santa Clarita?
The County of Los Angeles budget is over 19 billion dollars which is larger than 43 of the 50 states.
The budget of the City of Santa Clarita is approximately 160 million dollars.
QUESTION: How many employees does the County have? How many employees does the City have?
The County of Los Angeles has over 100,000 employees.
The City of Santa Clarita has approximately 350 employees.
QUESTION: I am governed by five people whether I am in the County or the City. How many do I get to vote for?
All five County Supervisors get to vote on everything that effects our community.
Residents or our community are only able to cast a vote for one supervisor.
Santa Clarita City residents get to vote for all five of the City Councilmembers and the County supervisor.
QUESTION: Where do I go to meet my elected representative?
County residents must journey 51 miles one-way to the Los Angeles County Hall of Administration, located at 500 West Temple Street in downtown Los Angeles.
City residents may meet their five elected council representatives in Santa Clarita at Santa Clarita City Hall, located at 23920 Valencia Boulevard, Santa Clarita.
Round trip travel time to the center of county government varies between 1 to 3 hours per trip.
Round trip travel time for Santa Clarita Valley residents to Santa Clarita City Hall is 10 to 20 minutes.
QUESTION: How many of my local government representatives live in the Santa Clarita Valley?
Los Angeles County - no Supervisors live in Santa Clarita Valley.
City of Santa Clarita - all five City Councilmembers live in the City of Santa Clarita by law.
QUESTION: Can non-Santa Clarita Valley residents vote for the one supervisor that governs us?
Yes. Santa Clarita residents represent about 10% of the nearly 2 million people governed by our one elected County Supervisor. "Our" supervisor is beholden to more than 1,750,000 people in addition to us.
The ratio of voters to Los Angeles County Supervisor represents the greatest gap of any elected representative in the United States as far as number of people served.
QUESTION: Does my local government have responsibility for any area besides my local community?
Yes. Among the areas governed by our Supervisor are: Quartz Hill, Chatsworth, Pasadena, Sierra Madre. Our Fifth District Supervisor governs an area of about 1,500 square miles.
The five Santa Clarita Councilmembers are responsible only for the City of Santa Clarita. All five govern a total area of appropriately 52 square miles.
QUESTION: When my local governing body meets, what time do they hold their meetings?
The County Supervisors, meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30 in the morning in their downtown Los Angeles Hearing Room.
The City of Santa Clarita holds its meeting at 6:00 Tuesday evenings at the City Council Chambers at Santa Clarita City Hall.
In addition, Santa Clarita Council meetings are broadcast live on local television on local channel 20.
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