OXNARD : City Manager Suggests Cut of 60 Jobs

The city of Oxnard can avoid a projected $2.3-million deficit in the next fiscal year by eliminating 60 full-time positions over the next two years, according to a city manager’s report released Friday.

The City Council will meet Tuesday to study several budget reports, including the recommendation by City Manager Vernon Hazen, and discuss ways to avoid layoffs and help reduce the deficit.

In an interview, Hazen said the projected deficit is partly due to increased costs for services provided to the city by the county. These include new fees that the county charges for booking criminal suspects into the jail and for collecting property taxes.

Council members will also study the first-quarter budget report that says city revenues are $363,000 below projected estimates.

In addition, the council will study the response from department heads to a management audit designed to show officials ways to reduce expenses and run the city more efficiently.

A summary version of the audit said the city can eliminate 103 full-time positions from its staff of more than 1,000 without substantially reducing services to residents.

In a 138-page report to the council, the directors of police, fire, public works, parks and recreation and other departments analyzed the audit and in many cases strongly disagreed with its recommendations.