Leaders to Take Some Time Off Too : Vacations: County supervisors and several city councils have canceled meetings to catch a break before the summer ends.

Schoolchildren won’t be alone in trying to pack a lot of fun into the last weeks of summer.

Many elected officials in Ventura County will put their civic duties aside during August so they too can enjoy a traditional dog-days vacation.

County supervisors and several city councils have canceled meetings this month and for early September to give themselves a break before the summer ends. Although city and county offices will remain open, some government workers will use the recess to take their own vacations--or simply catch up on paperwork.

Richard Wittenberg, the county’s chief administrative officer, said the Board of Supervisors always takes a break at the end of summer, immediately after a new budget is adopted. Because the latest fiscal plan is likely to require severe cutbacks in staffing and services, Wittenberg said this year’s break will provide a badly needed cool-down period.

“It’s a good time for things to heal up,” he said. “This year the three weeks will sorely be needed.”

During the recess, some supervisors will take a vacation, while others will continue to work at their county offices, Wittenberg said. About the supervisors who remain on the job, he added, “at least they don’t have to review agendas and have a full Tuesday of voting on issues.”

This year, the supervisors will have no meetings during the last week of August or the first two weeks of September.

Several city councils will also curtail their schedules.

The Ventura City Council, which usually meets each Monday night, has canceled all meetings between Aug. 10 and Sept. 14 to give members a break.

But city employees will not be idle. “We’re going to have a lot of catching up to do,” said Mary Snyder, a member of the city clerk’s staff. “A lot of filing.”

The Thousand Oaks City Council, which usually meets twice a month, has eliminated its August meetings. It will be back in session Sept. 1.

In Camarillo, City Council members have canceled their Aug. 12 meeting but will meet as usual on Aug. 26. “This is the first year that we’ve done this,” said City Clerk Marilyn Thiel. “It was pretty unanimous because they are all planning their vacations at the beginning of August.”

The Moorpark City Council began its break after its July 15 meeting. It will be back in session Aug. 19.

Councilman Scott Montgomery said the recess was urgently needed. “For a good six months, the council’s been meeting weekly,” he said. “We’ve had the General Plan update and other complex issues with which to deal. So we figured it was time to let the staff catch their breath--and the council as well.”

The Simi Valley City Council took three weeks off earlier this summer and will conduct its usual four weekly meetings in August. Ojai City Council members canceled their July 28 meeting but will meet as usual this month.

Council members in Oxnard, Santa Paula and Fillmore plan no late-summer breaks. In Port Hueneme, council members will decide Aug. 5 whether to cancel their second meeting of the month, scheduled for Aug. 19.