Top Managers Warn County of Salary Cuts, Layoffs

Ventura County supervisors on Tuesday were warned by a group of top managers that the county may be forced to cut salaries of the board’s assistants, lay off custodians and find cheaper ways to print election ballots to help balance next year’s budget.

Five managers who oversee the county’s internal operations outlined for the board ways to reduce operating expenses at the first of several budget workshops scheduled during the next month.

The sessions are intended to give supervisors an idea on how the county could absorb a projected $36-million loss in state funding for fiscal year 1993-94.

All county department heads have been ordered to find ways to reduce their budgets by up to 12.5% and report back to the board with their recommendations.

Among the officials making their reports to the board Tuesday were the county’s chief administrative officer, county counsel, clerk-recorder, auditor-controller and the director of the General Services Agency.

The county assessor’s office was also scheduled to discuss its budget, but the supervisors postponed the matter because of the death last week of Assessor R. J. (Jerry) Sanford.

The board has not decided whether to appoint someone to complete Sanford’s four-year term.

But Supervisor Maggie Kildee has suggested that her colleagues consider combining the assessor’s office with another department. The move, she said, could help the county streamline its operations.

“Maybe we can do things differently here,” Kildee said. She asked the county staff to prepare a study on the matter for a meeting later this month.

Chief Administrative Officer Richard Wittenberg, meanwhile, told the board that he would eliminate two vacant positions, reduce the use of temporary help and cut supplies and equipment to slash his budget by $182,400, a 10% reduction in spending.

But he said he would be forced to lay off one of his 34 remaining employees to lop his budget by another 2.5%.

“We’ve gotten down to the point where there is no more flexibility,” said Robert Hirtensteiner, assistant chief administrative officer.

Hirtensteiner also told board members that to cut their own budgets, supervisors should consider reducing the salaries of their 15 assistants by 10%. The assistants have agreed to take a salary cut if it means none of them will lose their jobs, officials said.

County Counsel James L. McBride said any reduction in his budget would force him to lay off attorneys and clerical workers, impeding the office’s ability to go after people who violate county codes.

“There is simply no headroom in our budget anymore,” McBride said. “We have no vacant positions.”

For instance, McBride said, he would have to lay off three attorneys and two clerical staff members to reduce his spending by 12.5%, or $310,000.

Clerk-Recorder Richard Dean told the supervisors that he may be forced to reduce election services to make ends meet. He recommended that the county consider printing election ballots in-house to save money, a move he said will help him avert layoffs.

“We simply need sufficient funds to meet our customers half-way,” he said.

General Services Agency Director Peter Pedroff told the board he would have to cut 26 positions--nearly all of them custodians--in an effort to pare spending.

Auditor-Controller Thomas O. Mahon told the board that he has already cut six of his 79 positions to help meet the 12.5% goal.

Today, at another workshop, the supervisors are expected to receive budget reports from the sheriff and the district attorney. Next week, health care officials will make their presentations.

Supervisor Maria E. VanderKolk praised Tuesday’s session, saying it gave the supervisors a better idea of what cuts they need to make.

“My goal is to get an understanding of where the departments are,” she said. “After we are done, we have got to force ourselves to talk about what our priorities are and establish the budget from there.”