Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Residents Protest Proposed Cuts : County: The budget outlines plans to reduce fire services and library hours, and close a park.

Residents from the outskirts of the Antelope Valley urged Los Angeles County officials to spare their area’s proposed cuts in fire stations, library services and a local park stemming from the county’s budget crisis.

Nearly 200 people turned out Tuesday night for the fourth and last in a series of public hearings held by Supervisor Mike Antonovich, who represents the Antelope Valley, on the impacts of a potential $1.6-billion county budget shortfall for the coming fiscal year.

Under a budget plan released last week, three county Fire Department engine companies and a paramedic unit in the Antelope Valley would be eliminated, the county’s George Lane Park in Quartz Hill would be closed, and hours at the region’s four county libraries would be halved.

“I can offer a sure bet. If we survive this year, we’ll be here again next year” with similar problems, Quartz Hill Town Council member Doug Burgis warned in a gloomy assessment. And local author Bonnie Stone told county officials: “I don’t think King Solomon would want to be sitting in your position tonight.”

Generally, speakers argued that residents in the outlying communities that stand to be most impacted by the cuts--Quartz Hill, Lake Los Angeles, Littlerock and Pearblossom--rely more heavily on county services than urban residents and have few other alternatives.

Some residents in the conservative, predominantly Republican valley blamed budget problems on illegal aliens draining government resources. Others urged county officials to find more budget fat to cut. And one woman said the state could save money by not permitting prison inmates conjugal visits.

Still others argued that county officials have tailored their list of extensive countywide cutbacks to create the most possible public outrage by intentionally targeting essential services. By doing so, the speakers argued, the county is trying to pressure the state.

In an interview after the more than two-hour session, county Chief Administrative Officer Harry Hufford insisted that the proposed cuts will occur if Gov. Pete Wilson and the state Legislature take more than $473 million in property tax revenues from the county.

Hufford also said the public and Legislature have been skeptical about the county’s warnings. “They all think we’re going to pull a rabbit out of the hat. But at some point, you can’t keep finding the hat and the rabbit.”

The county is plagued by likely cuts in state funding and state efforts to shift property tax revenues to shore up school funding.

Under the county plan, Fire Station 114 in Lake Los Angeles with one engine and Station 79 in Pearblossom with one engine and a paramedic squad would close. And Engine 131 in Palmdale, which is awaiting construction of its station, would be shut, officials said.

Services at the county’s Lancaster library would be cut from 60 hours to 28 hours per week, officials said, with services at the county’s Lake Los Angeles, Littlerock and Quartz Hill libraries cut from 28 to 14 hours a week.

Sheriff’s Department budget cuts would force the renewed closure of the Mira Loma Jail in Lancaster and elimination of the sheriff’s Air 5 rescue helicopter. And the Probation Department could be forced to close most of its juvenile camps, many in the north county area.