Battle lines harden as officials debate supervisor redistricting

Battle lines hardened at the Los Angeles County Hall of Administration Tuesday over a controversial plan to create a new district that could result in the election of a second Latino supervisor.

City officials from across Los Angeles County made the trek to downtown to speak in favor of their supervisors' plans, illustrating the deep ties supervisors have had with city officials. Many officials echoed the supervisors' talking points.

A status quo plan, proposed by Supervisor Don Knabe, would keep all districts largely intact. Supervisor Gloria Molina's proposal would effectively take Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky out of his Westside and San Fernando Valley district, while Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas' proposal would move Knabe out of his curving South Bay and southeast LA County district.

Interactive maps: See how the plans compare

Downey Councilman Mario A. Guerra backed Knabe, the white supervisor who represents his southeast Los Angeles County city, and criticized the plan for a second Latino-majority district. "I am an elected official in a community with over 70% Latinos. I'm insulted that anybody would suggest that in our particular city that we vote by the color of the skin or somebody's surname," Guerra said.

Mayor John Sibert of Malibu urged support for a status quo plan, supporting Yaroslavsky, a liberal white Democrat. Sibert recalled a time before 1991 when Malibu was represented by a conservative Republican supervisor, Deane Dana, from the South Bay. He said Malibu had no voice at that time, and he feared Malibu would be subservient to the South Bay and Long Beach under one of the plans to create a second Latino-majority district.