Grim Forecasts Follow Wilson’s Budget : Government: County officials say proposal to cut state spending would force them to slash services and lay off workers.

Government leaders in Ventura County say they would be forced to slash services and lay off workers to make up for the projected shortfall from a grim $51-billion budget proposed by Gov. Pete Wilson on Friday.

The governor’s suggested cuts to local government--which could top $2.6 billion statewide--went far deeper than anticipated, Ventura County leaders said.

At the county level, officials could be forced to close fire stations and libraries and reduce other public services to offset the dramatic loss--projected to range between $17 million and $32 million.

Each of the county’s 10 cities could also face dramatic shortages if the Legislature goes along with Wilson’s proposal.

“It’s going to be real bad,” said Supervisor John K. Flynn. “Everyone thought last year was bad. Well, last year will look like a piece of cake compared to what we’ll have to go through this year. We’ve hit the bottom.”

On Friday, Wilson unveiled a Spartan fiscal plan that calls for an 11% spending cut to offset deep losses of tax revenues caused by the persistent recession.

As part of his plan, Wilson wants to shift $2.6 billion in property-tax funds from local governments to the schools. This cut would come on the heels of a $1.3-billion reduction for cities, counties and special districts, part of last year’s budget agreement.

Last year, Ventura County government--which gets nearly 40% of its funding from the state--was forced to cut $10 million in spending and slash 200 positions to balance its $791-million budget for 1992-93.

County officials said they expected this year’s proposed cuts to be far worse than last year’s. But that did not buffer the blow.

Several ranking county officials said Friday that they were dismayed by Wilson’s suggestions. They said they are unsure how many workers might lose their jobs if the cuts are implemented.

“It looks dismal,” said Supervisor Maria E. VanderKolk. “You try to look around to see what you can cut. But we don’t want to cut welfare programs. We’ve cut health care down to the bone. God only knows where the money will come from.”

Penny Bohannon, the county’s Sacramento lobbyist, said she hoped a compromise on the reductions could be forged with Wilson between now and June 30--the state deadline to pass the budget.

“I’m trying to be optimistic,” Bohannon said. “A lot of things could happen between now and July. Hopefully Wilson will compromise on the reductions. It’s going to be another long, hot summer.”

Oxnard City Manager Vernon Hazen said he’s not sure how much state cuts will force the city to slice its budget, but he is projecting a $2.4-million shortfall for fiscal year 1993-94.

“Without any state cuts, we would break even,” Hazen said. “Whatever the state takes from us, we are going to end up short.”

State cuts forced $1.3 million in cuts from Oxnard’s General Fund budget this fiscal year, Hazen said, and took $600,000 from the city’s redevelopment agency budget.

“We are already into the bone of the organization, and any more state cuts will leave us in a serious deficit,” Hazen said. “The state is going to balance its budget on the backs of the cities.”

Thousand Oaks Mayor Judy Lazar said the cities would launch an intense lobbying effort to avoid the reductions.

“If we don’t stand up for our rights, we’re not going to have anything left,” she said.

Simi Valley assistant City Manager Mike Sedell said he hoped that cuts won’t be as large as feared. He noted that Wilson’s budget is only a proposal.

“This has a long way to go,” Sedell said. “It’s only the beginning of 30 or 40 rounds, and we’ve got to take it in that vein.”

Ventura City Manager John S. Baker agreed: “The fat lady hasn’t sung yet. The Legislature still has to deal with this.”

Officials at the Ventura County Fair Agricultural Assn., which operates the county fair, said they would not be drastically affected by a proposal in the governor’s budget to privatize local fairs.

Although such a move might slash $30,000 in subsidies to the Ventura County Fair, it would free the fair from certain onerous bureaucratic rules, officials said.

County supervisors, meanwhile, said they plan to discuss the proposed budget and what they can do to offset potential impacts at their meeting Tuesday. They will consider the possibility of implementing a four-day workweek or closing some county departments during slow times, officials said.

“We will have to do some pretty drastic things,” VanderKolk said. “We will have to talk about implementing mandatory furloughs or closing down for a day each week.

“It is very frightening in a lot of ways. It’s going to be absolutely devastating.”

County Chief Administrative Officer Richard Wittenberg added: “We are at the point where we have to look at what services we can perform. There has to be a re-evaluation of government.”

The proposed cuts “are so large,” he said, “that it is clearly a very glum and difficult picture. There has to be dramatic cuts if the numbers don’t change, and I can’t see them changing.”

Times staff writers Fred Alvarez, Peggy Y. Lee and Stephanie Simon contributed to this story.

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