The Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services has been without a permanent director for a year, and the latest interim director abruptly resigned after a managerial dispute with the Board of Supervisors.

The vote, while not final until voted on for a second time, would make both departments report directly to the Board of Supervisors, although the board retains the right to delegate the responsibilities to the Chief Executive Officer’s office.

The decision was contentious, and passed on a 3-2 vote. Supervisor Ridley-Thomas was openly critical of the plan, saying that department heads would start “dropping like flies.”

From the Daily News:

With tensions running high, a divided county Board of Supervisors voted to take control of two troubled departments from Chief Executive Officer William Fujioka.

The board voted 3-2 to require the departments of Children and Family Services, and Probation to report directly to them.

Supervisors Michael Antonovich, Zev Yaroslavsky and Gloria Molina supported the measure, with Mark Ridley-Thomas and Don Knabe dissenting. A final vote will be held next week.

Read the full article here.