Antonovich isn't an entertainer; he's a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. And when the board's purely ceremonial chairmanship rotated to him last December, Antonovich jumped at the chance to endow himself with a VIP title: "mayor."
The label may not come with a spot on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, but Antonovich didn't waste any time having the M-word painted on his office door. He printed new business cards and stationery, and refers to himself as "mayor" in all of his press releases. The last time Antonovich held the gavel, at the end of 1996, he did the same thing. Antonovich swears he has more than self-aggrandizement in mind. The Board of Supervisors, he says, is a vague concept to a lot of people, especially foreigners. But the term "mayor," is instantly recognizable, and helps convey the significance of the nation's largest county.
More than a few Los Angelenos, however, see hints of Alexander Haig in Antonovich's declaration. While board chairmen are entitled to the title under the county charter, most supervisors have shunned it. Zev Yaroslavsky, to whom the chairmanship rotates at the end of this year, has already said he won't take the title.
