LA County Board

23.\nHard-Hiring Freeze and Freeze on Non-Essential Services, Supplies and\nEquipment Purchases\nRecommendation: Approve the implementation of a hard-hiring freeze, effective\nFebruary 13, 2026, with exemptions for health and safety, mandated, and\ncritical positions, positions used for high-priority service delivery, and/or offset\nwith continuing and stable revenue streams, as determined by the Acting Chief\nExecutive Officer, as well as a freeze on non-essential services, supplies, and\nequipment purchases, in accordance with Board Policy No. 9.140. The initial\nlist of exemptions is included in the Enclosure. Authorize the Acting Chief\nExecutive Officer, to implement and administer the hard-hiring freeze as\nneeded to protect the County’s limited resources, as determined by the Acting\nChief Executive Officer, including a protocol allowing departments to request\nexceptions to both freezes on a case-by-case basis for essential services or\npurchases. Authorize the Acting Chief Executive Officer, to work with the\nAuditor-Controller to freeze appropriation of non-essential purchases of\nservices, supplies, and equipment, including non-essential travel and training,\nas deemed necessary to protect the County’s limited resources, as determined\nby the Acting Chief Executive Officer. Authorize the Acting Chief Executive\nOfficer to amend the exempt positions list as necessary to adjust to changing\nfiscal conditions. Direct the Acting Chief Executive Officer to exempt the\nDepartment of Homeless Services and Housing from both freezes through\nSeptember 1, 2026, to ensure adequate hiring onto newly established\ndepartmental positions and the ramp-up of contracted services. Direct the\nActing Chief Executive Officer to report back to the Board in writing at the end\nof Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-26 with recommendations to terminate or continue the\nfreezes into FY 2026-27 based on then-existing financial conditions. (26-0897)\nBoard Letter\nCounty Operations