Supervisors Spare Costly Perks From Budget Cuts : Benefits: Board says the extras are needed. But some, including union leaders, criticize the decision.

Although Ventura County supervisors agreed last week to cut 200 positions to offset a $10-million loss in state revenue, they left untouched some of the costliest perks for themselves and other top officials.

Board members say the extras are needed to ensure that the county runs smoothly and is able to prevent its best managers from taking lucrative jobs elsewhere.

But at a time when an unprecedented number of county workers are expected to lose their jobs, union leaders and an official for a county taxpayers’ association are blasting the supervisors for failing to eliminate the county’s most expensive benefits when they approved a $791-million budget package last week.

The extras include:

* A $500-a-month car allowance for the each of the five board members and 21 other officials and managers. Eleven managers will receive monthly allowances of $350, and two workers will receive $150 monthly reimbursements--for a total of $205,800 yearly.

* Seven extra weeks of pay per year for the board, county sheriff, district attorney, four other elected officials and Chief Administrative Officer Richard Wittenberg. The added expense totals about $123,620 annually.

* Memberships for supervisors in a half-dozen state and national organizations at a cost of nearly $169,000, up $33,200 from last year. They are also budgeted to spend $49,200 on conferences and seminars, up $9,200 from last year.

“It’s just irritating that they come down on the backs of the workers,” said Ron Coleman, union representative for the Operating Engineers Local 501. “Why don’t they start looking in their own closet.”

Jere Robings, executive director of the Ventura County Taxpayers Assn., added: “I just don’t see the justification for people receiving 59 weeks’ pay for 52 weeks’ work. There is something askew with their benefits plan.”

But three supervisors--Maggie Kildee, Maria VanderKolk and John K. Flynn--defended the board’s decision to leave intact the bulk of the perks.

“It is very hard to justify, especially in the mind of someone who is walking out the door,” VanderKolk said. “But looking at a department head who has incredible expertise, you have to compensate an excellent person for doing an incredibly important job.”

Flynn added: “I believe in paying people well, both the front-line people and the managers.”

But if the county loses more than $10 million from the state, the board might be forced to reconsider, VanderKolk said.

“I think it is something the board will definitely have to look at if the cuts go further,” she said. “Everything could be on the table.”

Since the state budget impasse started in July, the board has been searching for ways to offset a projected loss in state revenue.

Supervisors voted last week to cut the budgets of virtually every department in the county. Up to 100 workers--including deputy district attorneys, librarians and social workers--are expected to be laid off or, if eligible, offered early retirement. The remaining 100 positions targeted for elimination are now vacant, largely because of a hiring freeze.

The board also decided to cut library services, reduce assistance to war veterans, reduce social services and close the Ventura Avenue fire station--among numerous other reductions.

Although they kept the bulk of management’s perks intact, they did eliminate a $300 bonus for managers who got physicals. They also decided to cut some of the tuition and textbook reimbursements for employees who decided to attend college.

Also, Flynn put off a $78,000 project to redesign his office.

“I’m not a big advocate of that, not when we are having budget problems,” he said.

Another plan to rearrange part of the personnel department and Wittenberg’s office is still pending, said Thomas Womack, chief deputy director of the county’s General Services Agency.

The board, however, agreed to spend nearly $100,000 to hire an ombudsman to help smooth the strained relations between the county and the business community.

There was little discussion on the bonuses during the supervisors’ budget hearing last week.

Under the approved plan, board members each will receive a $6,762 bonus on top of their annual $50,232 pay this year. Wittenberg is expected to receive $16,642 above his $123,630 pay.

The supplemental pay was added to the salaries several years ago, after the board agreed that the elected officials and chief administrative officer needed to be better compensated. The benefit was called “in lieu of vacation pay” because Wittenberg and the county’s elected officials do not earn a set amount of vacation days a year. They set their own schedules and take off as much time as they wish.

The supervisors justified the increase, saying that as elected officials they are required to be on call 24 hours a day.

The car allowances were added to make management jobs more in line with the pay in other counties, they said.

Kildee said she understands why some people are upset about the perks, but said the county is in a bind.

“I think the proof of the pudding is we have had good managers. . . . We need to keep them,” she said.