Lancaster Joins County Budget Circuit : Government: Officials gather views of residents of the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys on how funds should be spent in 1992-93.

A legion of top Los Angeles County officials took their annual budget hearings on the road Sunday, asking residents of the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys how they want a dwindling supply of tax dollars spent in the coming year.

The unusual weekend hearing drew plenty of suggestions but few answers.

In the face of serious budget troubles, many of the 80 people who attended an afternoon session in Lancaster said they would be happy to save the county programs they have, such as local juvenile probation centers and mental health services, as well as county parks.

“Please, fight to keep the services up here,” Green Valley resident Natalie Ambrose said to the dozen officials, who represent county departments such as public works, and parks and recreation.

Faced with an estimated $2.2-billion shortfall, county officials were in no position to make any guarantees. They did, however, promise that the residents’ comments would be recorded and presented to the Board of Supervisors when debate begins on the 1992-93 budget later this month.

Sunday’s budget hearings, the first in the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys, are part of a new program intended to make the county’s administration more accessible to residents in outlying areas. Throughout the month, the delegation of department heads and budget analysts will visit a dozen communities seeking comments on the proposed budget.

In the past, all budget hearings were held in the Hall of Administration in downtown Los Angeles, a 65-mile drive for Antelope Valley residents.

“It’s not practical to stay downtown and expect everyone to come to us,” County Administrative Officer Richard B. Dixon said.

Many of those at the meeting praised the program, saying they would otherwise not have been able to air their grievances because of the long drive.

Eugene Hernandez, president of Latinos for Political Action, urged the Board of Supervisors to hold occasional meetings in the northern part of the county. Then the residents could speak directly to their elected representatives, he said.

Hernandez also urged county officials to help with problems created by the downturn in the defense industry, a major employer in the Antelope Valley.

“We’re faced with a situation here where we have to change swords into plowshares,” he said.

Others had more immediate needs, pleading that local county parks be spared from closure and that library service not be reduced.

“In the future, we are going to lose these if we don’t fight for them now,” said Elaine MacDonald, a member of the Antelope Valley Trails outdoor group.