Supervisors Considering Wage Freeze : Budget: About 3,700 workers would be affected. Board also will discuss offering early retirement to save money.

Ventura County supervisors are considering freezing the wages of about 3,700 workers and offering five years of medical benefits to lure veteran employees into taking early retirement.

At a time when the county could lose between $50 million and $60 million in funding from the state, the supervisors said they need to consider as many options as possible to reduce costs. They will vote on the two money-saving measures at their meeting Tuesday.

“We absolutely need to do this,” Supervisor Maria VanderKolk said. “This is the only way to get through these hard times.”

County Personnel Director Ronald Komers estimated that the county could save $1.6 million annually by freezing the wages of a majority of its 6,500-person work force.

Up to $8.8 million could be saved annually by implementing the early-retirement program, officials said. The savings would depend on how many employees participate in the program and how long the county leaves the positions unfilled.

Employees who are at least 50 years old and have worked for the county for 10 years can quality for the retirement incentive.

Komers said the county would give the retirees and their families full medical coverage for five years. He said 170 employees have expressed interest in participating in the program. About 800 county employees qualify for the early retirement.

“The savings is nothing to sneeze at,” Supervisor Vicky Howard said. “It could help us significantly in bringing the budget together.”

So far, the union reaction to the county’s wage freeze proposal has been mixed. While county firefighters’ union representatives said they would support the freeze, the president of the Service Employee International Union, Local 998, said he would be reluctant to endorse the plan.

“They are going to expect the employees to continue to work the same hours, provide the same work at less pay,” said Steve Wood, president of the service employees union. “It’s coming right out of our hides. That hurts morale.”

However, Ken Maffei, president of the Ventura County Professional Firefighters’ Assn., said he is optimistic that the measure could stave off further layoffs in the Fire Department. On Thursday, the supervisors voted to cut 56 positions, including 27 firefighters, and close down four stations.

He said the firefighters would still be willing to go one step further and take a 5% pay cut.

“It’s a good-faith effort,” Maffei said. “We are willing to take our cuts, just like anyone else.”

The supervisors have the authority under the union contracts to halt pay increases for most employees who have not reached the top of their pay scales. Under the wage-freeze proposal, the increases would be deferred for at least a year, starting July 4.

However, the board is required under recent agreements with unions representing the Sheriff’s Department and the Fire Department to give raises next fiscal year ranging from 4% to 5% to employees who have already reached the top pay level.

Komers said he has asked representatives from two unions to return to the bargaining table in an effort to delay those raises, which will cost the county about $1.8 million. While Fire Department officials said they would be willing to renegotiate, Sheriff’s Department union officials are reluctant to give up the negotiated raises.

David Williams, the president of the Ventura County Deputy Sheriffs Assn., said he would like to see the county cut expendable costs and unnecessary services before delaying pay increases.

“I haven’t seen the county prioritize services yet,” Williams said. “I want to make sure we have done everything to make things right before we start to adjust salaries.”