In a confidential settlement, Los Angeles County paid $2 million to current County Chief Executive Officer Fesia Davenport over issues relating to the voter-approved governance reform package that will replace her with an elected manager, records show.
The settlement was approved on Aug. 15, 2025 but was not announced after the action that took place at the Board of Supervisors July 29 meeting during closed session. The settlement was first reported by LAist last week.
In a document entitled “Confidential General Release Agreement,” the county paid Davenport $2 million as compensation for language in a government reform package initiated by the Board of Supervisors. The CEO said it allegedly damaged her reputation, and caused her embarrassment and emotional distress. She said this was due to the content of Measure G, the county reform package adopted by voters in November 2024.
One of the most controversial aspects of Measure G is replacement of an appointed CEO with an elected county chief executive. That change takes place in 2028, and means Davenport would have to run a campaign to be elected and keep her job. Undoubtedly she would face opponents in a contested election that would go before 5.8 million Los Angeles County registered voters.
In a lengthy letter written to Third District Supervisor Lindsey Horvath — a co-author of the reform package that the supervisors placed on the ballot in July 2024 — Davenport said the discussion of needing an elected CEO that would give the county government a stronger leader insinuated that she was a weak CEO.
In the Aug. 12, 2024 letter, Davenport wrote to Horvath that the measure “impunes my professional reputation” and by implication says the measure imputes “undesirable attributes” to herself.
The letter says the text of the measure states that the board has had difficulty making things happen, and that an elected CEO would have more power and produce better outcomes.
Her letter concludes by saying the motion to put the measure on the ballot suggested that her office “inhibited progress on major policy initiatives,” adding that after the motion was passed to place Measure G on the ballot, she had difficulties working with her team and other department heads.
Another argument made by Davenport was that as a 27-year employee of the county, she was not ready to retire in 2028 and that passage of Measure G ends her career at least two years earlier than she planned. This briefer work tenure could affect her retirement benefits. She had requested an extension of her contract through November 2030 to provide a 24-month overlap with the new, elected county CEO.
Instead, the county offered the settlement, which does not admit that her claims were valid. The agreement, signed by Davenport, releases the county from all such claims.
John Fasana, a former Duarte City Councilmember and board member of LA Metro, was appointed to the Measure G Governance Reform Task Force by Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger who opposed Measure G. The Task Force has the job of implementing many of the components, including formation of an ethics commission. The measure also will increase the number of board seats from five to nine by 2032.
Barger strongly objected to making the county CEO an elected position, saying it would politicize the job. Fasana also is opposed to that part of Measure G.
He said his reading of Measure G, and of the letters Davenport wrote, did not insinuate she was doing a poor job. He said the measure and supportive supervisors were talking about forming a new stronger model of governance.
“I didn’t read it as being personal,” he said on Monday, Oct. 20. “I don’t know why the county settled. I didn’t see anything disparaging toward her.”
Davenport recently went on medical leave, which she reportedly told LAist was not related to the settlement. She is scheduled to be out until the beginning of next year.
The county’s CEO manages a $52.5 billion 2025-2026 budget and was instrumental in reducing spending by 5.5%.