County Issue / Funding Local Governments...

Jack O’Connell, State assemblyman

There are about 75 proposals for solving the fiscal crisis floating around Sacramento. I will probably oppose the idea of a billion-dollar cut to cities, because it is excessive. But there is going to be a reduction in aid to local government, because we can’t afford it as we have in the past. We are downsizing government at all levels, abolishing departments and eliminating a host of boards and commissions. While I hope the cities do not lose the amounts suggested by some, cuts must be made. There is a theory that says small reductions should be made across the board, including cities, the counties, special districts, education and all the rest. Another option would be trying to fully fund cities and counties while closing the University of California, the Cal State system and releasing 100,000 felons. Even if we took such rash steps, the deficit would only be cut in half. So everybody is going to lose. The secret is to alienate everyone equally. Although I say that humorously, we are in a difficult situation where there will be no winners.

Cathie Wright, State assemblywoman

At this point, I do not believe that cuts to the cities are inevitable, and I will be fighting against them. There are other ways we can get through this without taking revenue from them. Workers’ compensation is a big item for cities, counties and school districts, and they will save a lot of money if we can reform there. Relieving the counties and cities of some state mandates is another excellent way to help. We should reduce the number of billing and hearing processes required by the state. These hearings are very costly, yet the state says that they must hold them. Of course, this all gets back to the reform of the health and welfare system. We should reform the system so it takes care of those truly in need, rather than having the system being bled for so many who don’t need assistance. This is also an excellent time to carry out reforms in the educational system, such as fixing the amounts going directly to classrooms, rather than having all of the funding bled off to the state superintendent of schools office, the county offices and the school districts.

Grant R. Brimhall, City manager, Thousand Oaks

There have to be changes made in the tremendous costs of certain programs, such as welfare assistance. We also need to stop the hemorrhage of jobs leaving the state by drastically reforming policies like workers’ compensation, which is the main reason jobs are just bleeding out of the state. If you lose the jobs and keep the welfare, it’s tough to balance the state budget. In the past 17 months, cities throughout the state have eliminated 5,900 positions, while the state government has cut only 2,200. The counties have actually added 14,400 new jobs, and the schools have added 16,000 new jobs. To see the cities lose jobs while the counties and school districts are gaining employees hardly seems rational. If we lose the revenue, it will cost us the equivalent of 100 jobs. Every program and activity of the city will be seriously affected, including our police force. It will be a disastrous situation, and I think it is unconscionable of the state to consider it.

William Little, City manager, Camarillo

It appears to me that they need to totally analyze--much more than they have done to date--the state operations and try to decide where they have the ability to reduce costs. That should be their No. 1 goal. Only after they’ve gone through that process and can truly say they’ve reduced everywhere they can reduce, should they look to cutting local government or education. If the cuts to cities do occur, here in Camarillo we’re talking about losing as many as 21 employees, nine of which are Sheriff’s Department contract deputies. This would eliminate all of our traffic enforcement efforts, all of the crossing guards near schools, and it would spell the end of any appropriations we have made to social service and community events. We will also have to shelve a number of planned capital purchases and projects. We’re even looking into whether we can continue providing the transit system we have here. But if we discontinue that, we may lose even more money. The cuts will simply be devastating.

Dorothy Maron, City councilwoman, Oxnard

One thing that should have been thought of is a tax increase. Not on the middle-class but at least on people earning more than $50,000 or $60,000 a year. I certainly don’t feel revenue should be taken from the cities. Before that is done, state government should become lean and mean itself. Any money taken from the cities will eventually end up as personnel losses, so if we have to take cuts, the state offices should certainly cut too. The Legislature and the governor’s office should let some of their own people go, too. I can understand not wanting to cut school budgets--that’s a very important thing--but I wonder if they can’t, at the very least, merge some of the different state committees and departments. If the cuts go through, we will probably reduce the police and fire departments. Though I am very much against it, we may also have to close the South Oxnard Center, which is going to be a terrible blow to the seniors and young people who use the library and other services there.