Lancaster Votes 'No Confidence' In LA County Public Health Director, Eyes Own Agency
LANCASTER (CBSLA) - Officials in the city of Lancaster Friday are looking into the possibility of creating a local health agency after the City Council held a vote of "no confidence" in Los Angeles County Public Health Department Director Barbara Ferrer.
Mayor Rex Parris and the City Council unanimously passed the two agenda items at a Dec. 3 special meeting.
As a result of the vote, city staff will "begin the process of gathering documentation and a list of resources necessary to start a public health department", officials said.
The city has also had talks with neighboring cities Santa Clarita and Palmdale regarding a regional partnership for a "collaborative solution", Parris said.
"Los Angeles County's one-size-fits-all approach to COVID-19 restrictions is not working for Lancaster and it's extremely detrimental to our economy, especially our restaurants. We know our issues best, and we believe a more local public health department is best suited to meet our community's needs and curb the spread of COVID-19 in Lancaster," said Parris.
Lancaster, Santa Clarita, and West Covina are among several jurisdictions considering plans to break away from the county Department of Public Health and establish their own after the latest round of coronavirus restrictions went into effect.
