Supervisors Slash Budgets, Eliminate Almost 30 Positions : County: The $6-million cut in spending is the third across-the-board reduction in a year. It comes amid projections of a $7-million deficit.

Projections that show Ventura County will be more than $7 million in the red at the end of the next fiscal year prompted supervisors on Tuesday to slash budgets by nearly $6 million and eliminate almost 30 staff positions.

The Board of Supervisors implemented its third across-the-board reduction in a year, with a permanent 2% cut in county department budgets that will save nearly $3.9 million in the fiscal year beginning July 1.

The supervisors also cut departments’ current fiscal-year budgets by an additional 1% to save nearly $2 million during the period that ends June 30.

The reductions, which come on the heels of 10% cuts for most departments totaling $14 million and the loss of 80 staff positions since July, 1990, will close much of the county’s deficit gap, County Chief Administrative Officer Richard Wittenberg said.

But he said it is uncertain whether the county will suffer cuts in state funding, a move the state may find necessary to shore up its own $6-billion deficit.

“No one knows for sure if this will be enough to achieve a balanced budget” in the county, Wittenberg said. “But it is hoped that 2% reductions will be enough.”

Most of the lost staff positions will be absorbed through attrition, by transferring workers to other open jobs or leaving vacancies unfilled. But Barry Hammitt, executive director of the Service and Employees International Union, Local 988, which represents most of the county’s 6,300 workers, called the job-elimination approach shortsighted.

“It will just put a burden on the other employees that are left behind,” he said. “When they reach a breaking point, they will become ill or look for work elsewhere, which will eventually cost the county.”

The 927-member Sheriff’s Department took the largest cut of any department with a reduction of more than $1 million. The budget cut will result in less overtime for deputies and more positions held vacant, said Assistant Sheriff Richard Bryce.

“We think life safety issues that we’re involved with are the first line of government,” he said. “And as important as other things are, nothing takes the place of life and property.”

The county should have set priorities, leaving some departments exempt from budget cuts, he said.

“It’s distressing that we wind up taking the largest cut,” Bryce said. “But we are the largest general fund agency and when it’s an across-the-board cut without prioritization, this is what happens.”

The cuts are necessary because the county’s expenses continue to climb while its income drops due to past cuts in state funding and continuing decreases in sales tax revenues, said Bert Bigler, county budget manager.

In addition, revenue from construction is down, as are motor vehicle registration fees, Bigler said.

Bigler said the 2% budget cuts, which are effective July 1 are designed to avoid layoffs.

“It gives the departments plenty of time for people to move to other jobs that are open,” he said.

The exception is the county’s Building and Safety Department, where the recession has caused decreased workloads and revenues. Two people in the department will probably lose their jobs, he said.

“No one has left the department so there is nowhere for the existing workers to move,” he said.

The reductions mean greater workloads for county personnel, fewer consultations with outside experts, and reduced travel and educational opportunities for staff, according to the department heads’ analyses.

Positions cut include:

* Two programmer analysts along with contract services for outside professionals from the Information Systems Department for a saving of $253,800.

* Two deputy probation officers, two corrections officers and two office assistants for a saving of $212,800 in the Corrections Services Agency.

* A law clerk, an investigator and a victim’s advocate in the district attorney’s office for a saving of $201,400.

* A deputy assessor and an appraiser in the county assessor’s office for a saving of $121,900.

* A plan check engineer and building inspector from the Building and Safety Department for a combined saving of $113,700.

* A mental health nurse from the Mental Health Department’s family skills program for a saving of $75,800.

Also eliminated was a social worker position in the county’s Greater Avenues for Independence program, which helps train welfare recipients for paying jobs, for a saving of $54,700.