Strapped for Cash

The Los Angeles County budget grows larger every year, but, when adjusted for inflation, the power of its dollars is actually shrinking. There is in effect less money, yet more than twice as much to do. The choices are tough, and, because of state requirements, the choices are few.

Counties must run jails and courts, provide medical care for poor people, pay for general relief and emergency housing for homeless people. The justice system, health care and welfare--all services handed down to the counties by the state--take well over 90% of the county budget, and those immensely expensive burdens are mushrooming. That leaves scraps for all other county services.

Although Sacramento has been generous with its demands that the counties provide services, it has been stingy with aid. State aid is essential because the counties--handcuffed by Proposition 13, which slashed property taxes in 1978--have no way to raise more revenue even as the critical needs grow.

Worthwhile legislation to allow the counties a quarter-cent share of the sales tax is dead in Sacramento. Los Angeles County, the state’s largest, contributes nearly one-third of the sales and income taxes collected by the state but gets back less than a fair share.

Measures to require the state to finance the courts would remove another major burden from county budgets, especially as the dockets grow longer and longer. But bills to achieve that aim never got out of committee. Help is not on the way.

The state could go a long way toward bailing out counties--and schools, for that matter--with the $700 million that Gov. George Deukmejian wants to rebate to taxpayers in dribs and drabs. Los Angeles County is $200 million to $300 million below the Gann amendment limit that led the governor to call for the rebate, and could use any help that the state can provide.

Los Angeles County does stand to gain $80 million when the budget battle is resolved in Sacramento, and would spend the money on health, welfare, probation and fire departments. Without the new money, the Board of Supervisors would have to decide not just where to cut but how deep, when the county budget deliberations begin on July 13.

Richard B. Dixon, the county’s chief administrative officer, recommends spending more money to relieve jail overcrowding, control narcotics trafficking, prevent AIDS, participate in the state’s new workfare program, strengthen earthquake preparedness and better serve dependent children. That will be hard to do without hurting neighborhood health clinics, drug detoxification centers, mental-health services and close supervision by probation officers.

The county needs more dollars--$7.2 billion when adjusted for inflation just isn’t enough to keep pace with the demand for space in the jails, courts, hospitals, health centers and emergency shelters. The Board of Supervisors should be taking the lead in persuading citizens that the tax revolt has run its course and that the quality of life depends on more reasonable budgets rather than on presiding over a rationing program of services that 8 million county residents need.