County Supervisor Hilda Solis will serve as chair of the Board of Supervisors during her last year on the board. Solis, who has represented the First District since 2014, is stepping down after next year due to term limits.
Courtesy photo
Wave Staff Report
LOS ANGELES — During its annual organizational meeting Dec. 2, the county Board of Supervisors appointed First District Supervisor Hilda Solis as its chair for the next year. Iy will be Solis’ third stint as board chair and will come during her last year on the board.
“It is an honor to serve as chair of the Board of Supervisors for my third and final term, especially as I enter my last year on the board,” Solis said in a statement. “I first held this role in 2016 during the first Trump administration and again in 2021 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout my tenures as chair, I have consistently focused on strengthening and uplifting our social safety net, and this term will be no different.
Solis is being termed out of office after next year and as already announced plans to run for Congress in the newly drawn 38th Congressional District, which includes part of her supervisorial district.
Solis previously served in Congress from 2001 to 2009, representing East Los Angeles and parts of the San Gabriel Valley. She resigned her congressional seat in 2009 to become secretary of labor under President Barack Obama. She left that post after being elected in 2013 to the Board of Supervisors, replacing Gloria Molina in the First District.
She first held elective office in 1985 when she was elected to the Rio Hondo College Board of Trustees. In 1992, she was elected to the state Assembly and two years later she was elected to the state Senate.
In becoming chair of the Board of Supervisors, Solis acknowledged the challenges that lie ahead.
“We face both significant challenges and meaningful opportunities,” she said in her stateent. “Our county continues to navigate substantial budget pressures at a time when the needs of our most vulnerable residents are increasing.
“Federal policies enacted under the Trump administration — including changes to Medi-Cal, the Affordable Care Act, and programs like CalFresh — have placed a heavy burden on essential social services, leaving many residents at risk,” she added. “Immigrant communities continue to face unlawful detainment and deportation, creating fear and uncertainty for families.
“We must also address the budget impacts of AB 218, which led to the recent lawsuits and settlements arising from decades-old incidents of abuse. At the same time, our priorities must remain focused on affordability, the rising cost of housing, homelessness, public safety, food security, the safe and accountable rebuilding of communities affected by last January’s wildfires, and supporting our county workforce, whose dedication makes all of our work possible.
“While these challenges are real, they also underscore the importance of careful planning, collaboration, and strategic action,” she continued. “Maintaining fiscal stability while meeting the day-to-day needs of our residents will require us to prioritize resources, work closely with our partners and find innovative ways to deliver essential services.
“I remain committed to ensuring that our work is grounded in dignity for all, and I look forward to guiding productive discussions and advancing policies that strengthen our communities in my final year on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.”
Second District Supervisor Holly Mitchell will serve as vice chair on the board.
