Ventura to Discuss How to Trim 6% in Spending : City Council: Some layoffs and the elimination of programs are possible. Citizens will have an opportunity to comment at a hearing.

Faced with the worst money crunch in 15 years, the Ventura City Council will discuss tonight how to slice spending by nearly 6% to balance a $101.6-million operating budget for 1992-94.

At least eight workers may be laid off and dozens of programs--including the Ventura Music Festival--may be cut or eliminated. Members of the public will have a chance to speak out on the proposed cuts at a public hearing at the council meeting, which starts at 7:30 p.m.

City Manager John S. Baker has presented the council with a list of 151 proposed reductions. The cuts span everything from small luxuries to popular programs. If approved, bottled water service would be cut off at City Hall, firetrucks and police cars won’t be washed or tuned as often, and the city planning department would not make as many maps.

But the Parks and Recreation Department is expected to be the hardest hit--with proposed cuts in programs for the elderly and the young.

City officials are suggesting cutting $15,000 from the Ventura Youth Basketball Assn. and $7,161 from the summer aquatics program for city youths, and shutting down the Senior Recreation Center during weekends at a savings of $5,000.

The plan also calls for doing away with the “Celebration of the Whale,” a popular elementary school marine mammal education program.

Several council members say they do not like the idea of cutting programs, but they must choose between slashing services or doing away with jobs, something officials are trying to keep to a minimum.

“It’s frustrating to cut services our community has become dependent on,” said Mayor Gregory L. Carson. “It hurts . . . but it also hurts to cut positions.”

After the extensive efforts of city staff, the number of layoffs was kept at about eight--mostly secretaries, maintenance and facilities workers.

“There’s a sensitivity that you just don’t chop out bodies,” Baker said.

But Councilman James L. Monahan has criticized Baker for not proposing deeper cuts in staff.

“We should cut the fat at the top,” Monahan said. “I don’t like people trying to protect these jobs. I suggest we start by cutting the department heads and let the assistants take over at their current salaries.”

Monahan also said the council should cut city workers’ salaries by 10%.

“Let’s just roll the salaries back to 1990 levels,” Monahan said. “There are a lot of good folks who work for the city. But there are a lot of good folks who live in Ventura and are unemployed. And I don’t see anything getting any better.”

But Monahan said he is against cutting services for the elderly. “They’ve already paid their dues,” he said.

Maxine Culp, chairwoman of the Ventura Senior Coordination Council, said she will lead a group of elderly people tonight in calling for the city not to cut their programs. She said the group is especially concerned about a proposal to cut 25% from Ventura’s senior citizen minibus system.

“I understand that they have to do some cutting, but I hate to see the seniors cut,” Culp said. “I just feel like these are services that we really need.”

Councilman Gary Tuttle suggested slashing various maintenance programs, such as landscaping, instead of the community programs.

“Rather than cutting 18 little programs, I’d rather bite the bullet and cut maintenance and landscape,” Tuttle said. He said he will make his suggestion to the council, which must complete the budget by the end of June.

This is the second year in a row that Ventura has been faced with budget problems.

Last year, the council trimmed $1.34 million from the city’s two-year, $101.2-million budget for 1990 to 1992, marking the first time since the late 1970s that the council was forced to slice spending. Officials responded by raising city fees for permits and other services by about $225,000, as well as cutting services.

Although the city’s financial situation was difficult last year, it has become worse this year, mostly because of an unexpected drop in sales tax revenue. According to Baker, sales tax revenue is expected to be $3.4 million less than anticipated.

Complicating Ventura’s financial problem, the county and state recently reduced the city’s annual revenue by nearly $1 million by taking away cigarette tax revenues, eliminating DUI revenues and charging for tax administration and jail booking.

“We have less resources and decreased revenue,” Councilman Tom Buford said. “That’s a sad fact of life for government.”

Proposed Budget Cuts

Because of an unexpected drop in sales tax and other city revenue, Ventura must find a way to cut more than $6 million out of its $101.6-million operating budget for 1992-94. Some of City Manager John S. Baker’s proposed reductions include:

Services for the Elderly

* Close the Senior Recreation Center on Santa Clara Street during weekends: $5,000 annual savings.

* Discontinue the senior recreation program offered at Buena Vida Apartments: $6,437 annual savings.

* Reduce the service hours of the Ventura Avenue Adult/Senior Center: $5,000 annual savings.

* Cut minibus service to medical appointments, grocery shopping and senior recreation programs by 25%: $16,464 annual savings.

Youth Services

* Eliminate the “Celebration of the Whale” marine mammal education program for elementary school students: $3,000 annual savings.

* Reduce youth employment at the public works department during the summer: $2,934 annual savings.

* Eliminate special events, including Cottontail Canyon Days, Santa’s Workshop, Halloween at the Plaza, bike safety program, dog Frisbee contest and teen excursions at a $9,402 annual savings. The programs were used by about 11,000 youths.

* Cut the summer aquatics program, used by nearly 5,000 youngsters: $7,161 annual savings.

General Services

* Eliminate the Ventura Music Festival: $50,000 annual savings.

* Cut city support to the Beach Party: $35,000 annual savings.

* Close the city pistol range: $40,000 annual savings.

* Stop replenishing sand at Surfers Point and Marina Park: $12,000 annual savings.

* Eliminate fruit control spraying of 400 city olive trees: $8,000 annual savings. The city had agreed to spray the tress after residents complained that the olives made a mess on city streets and sidewalks.