Most of Cut in Sheriff’s Budget Is Restored : Finances: Supervisors put back $45 million of a $60-million trim. But the move will tap an account that helps maintain the county’s credit rating.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to restore $45 million to the Sheriff’s Department, just one day after county staff had recommended a sizable cut and weeks before other department pleas for funding will be heard.

“It’s the responsible way to go,” Supervisor Ed Edelman said in urging his colleagues to support the proposal.

The 4-1 vote came after Edelman informed the board that he had spoken privately with Sheriff Sherman Block, who said the $45 million would satisfy his budget demands. The agreement heads off the effects of state legislation that could force the county to give even more money to the sheriff.

The pending legislation would require counties to maintain funding of law enforcement at current levels and funnel all Proposition 172 sales tax revenue to public safety agencies. Proposition 172, approved by voters last year, imposed a quarter-cent sales tax increase that was intended to bolster law enforcement budgets.

The bill has an “escape clause” that would exempt any county that enters into a budget agreement with the local sheriff.

Chief Administrative Officer Sally Reed had recommended cutting the Sheriff’s Department by $60 million, which Block said would have required the closure of two facilities. With the partial restoration of funds, he said that no jails or stations would have to be closed, but hundreds of job vacancies would remain unfilled.

“The board obviously agreed that the proposed curtailment would have had a severe impact on our ability to provide public safety,” Block said.

The sheriff said he did not hold out for full restoration of his budget because the county is facing a $184-million deficit, and he is willing to shoulder part of that burden.

Although the supervisors were able to quash one potential threat on their treasury, they may have created another.

The $45 million will be taken from a special reserve account that the county keeps for paying interest on the millions of dollars in outstanding bonds. Depleting that account could threaten the credit rating on its bonds, ultimately costing millions in additional interest.

Reed said in an interview that the account has been there to protect the county’s credit rating. That rating is under review by the nation’s leading rating agencies, and they have indicated that it could be revised downward. A lower credit rating typically means the borrower must offer higher interest rates to attract lenders.

Edelman said he checked with county Auditor-Controller Alan Sasaki and was told the transfer would have no effect on the county’s rating.

As expected, the board tentatively approved the proposed $14.7-billion county budget for fiscal 1994-95, although each of the supervisors said they plan to seek significant changes. Hearings on the spending plan are slated to begin June 1 and board deliberations are set to start July 11.