Oxnard Warns of Possible Layoffs : Budget: Despite the promise of firings and transfers by city officials, the police chief has vowed to fight for 16 new positions.

Oxnard officials may have to lay off municipal workers and step up a push to make city departments more efficient next fiscal year under a budget proposal unveiled Wednesday.

City officials said as many as 37 employees may have to be laid off or transferred to other departments to balance the 1994-95 spending plan.

No police officers or firefighters would be cut under City Manager Thomas Frutchey’s budget proposal, but Police Chief Harold Hurtt said he intends to ask the City Council for 16 new positions during next week’s budget study sessions.

The $60.3-million General Fund budget--Frutchey’s first since becoming city manager late last year--comes a year after officials ordered a sweeping reduction of city departments to avoid layoffs and make City Hall more efficient.

In his budget message, Frutchey said the proposed spending plan for the next fiscal year would not reduce city services. And he said he would try to avoid layoffs by shuffling workers to other departments.

“A net of 55 positions will be reduced over the next year. One-third of the positions to be deleted are vacant; the remainder, however, are filled with skilled, knowledgeable people (who) have provided years of service to Oxnard,” Frutchey said. “This year, for the first time, we may lose some very valuable employees.”

Grace Hoffman, the city’s management and budget officer, cautioned that the budget document is still preliminary and subject to change.

“This budget proposal assumes the worst-case scenario,” Hoffman said. “We felt it was the only prudent way to prepare a budget document given the (unpredictable) actions of the state government when it comes to local revenues.”

Hoffman said no decisions on layoffs or transfers have been made.

But David Hartsuck, president of the Ventura chapter of the Service Employees International Union, said there will probably be more layoffs than transfers.

“This is going to be brutal,” Hartsuck said. “I’m not sure we’ll be able to find room for them all.”

Hartsuck said he was hoping that the city would eliminate jobs through attrition or use the city’s $9 million in reserve funds to keep city workers employed.

“This economy will change eventually and we will need these people again,” Hartsuck said. “I think the city should rethink this seriously.”

But Councilman Andres Herrera said the cuts may be a necessary part of the city’s commitment to delivering municipal services more efficiently.

“There are going to be some real hits,” Herrera said. “But I think we know that sacrifices are going to have to be made if we are going to reach the level of efficiency that we have pledged to attain. This is not going to be easy or fun.”

Hurtt said Wednesdaythat while he was glad his department emerged largely unscathed under the proposed budget, he will fight to gain 16 positions for the force.

“I consider this a ‘hold-the-line’ budget at best. And, I’m sorry to hear that we may have to lay offsome of our city employees,” Hurtt said. “But, it is still my intention over the next few days and weeks to remind the council of its commitment to increasing the number of officers we have.”

Budget study sessions will be held next Tuesday and Thursday. The budget is expected to be adopted by the council later this month.