Safety Agency Spared Large Budget Slash

Federal budget writers have rescinded plans for large funding cuts and personnel reductions in the Consumer Product Safety Commission in the next fiscal year, the agency’s chairman said Friday.

Last week, the Office of Management and Budget told the commission to cut its budget for fiscal 1986, which begins Oct. 1, by 30% and its staff by 25%.

But Terrence Scanlon, a Democrat who has supported President Reagan’s policy of deregulation, said that after he negotiated with OMB, it was decided the commission would take only the 10% administrative cuts and 5% personnel pay cuts ordered for all federal domestic agencies.

Asked why he thought OMB turned around, Scanlon said, “I don’t know--maybe a new chairman, maybe a different management style. It’s hard to tell.”

He added: “I think they realized we do need a field structure to do what we do. There’s a huge federal deficit and certainly I want to play my part in reducing it, but then we’re taking a cut.”

The new proposed commission budget for 1986 will be $33.7 million, or $8.7 million more than the original figure set by OMB of $25 million. The commission’s budget for the current fiscal year is $36 million.

Scanlon said there currently are 19 staff vacancies at the commission, giving it a personnel force of 568. The vacancies, which Scanlon said are at all different levels and areas, will not be filled. “There will be no cut in employees as of today,” he said.