Planned County Service Cuts Protested at Rally : Budget: Union offers alternative spending plan, says it would avoid drastic closures and layoffs.

County workers, labor representatives and community activists on Friday rallied against proposed cuts in county services and offered an alternate spending plan they say would avoid deep cutbacks and layoffs.

About 150 people gathered at a South-Central Los Angeles health clinic to denounce the proposed closure of dozens of pools, parks, libraries and clinics as a way of closing a $400-million to $500-million gap in the county’s $14.7-billion budget.

The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to begin budget deliberations next week.

County Chief Administrative Officer Sally Reed has estimated that the state budget signed by Gov. Pete Wilson on Friday could cost the county more than $350 million, on top of $107 million in local shortfalls that have yet to be closed. She has proposed deep cuts in law enforcement, social welfare, parks and recreation and other programs.

Advocates attending Friday’s rally argued that such cuts could prove devastating. They cited a shooting incident at a county hospital last year and recent public consternation over new fees at county swimming pools as evidence of the strains created by service cuts.

“Cuts like these create tremendous tension, almost like a flash point, at places where government should be seamless and focused on providing services,” said Gilbert Cedillo, general manager of Local 660 of the Service Employees International Union, which represents about half of the county’s 84,000-member work force.

Cedillo contends that the county could avoid cuts by using assets and reserves more creatively.

Among alternative revenue sources offered by the union are:

* $55 million in various unused reserves identified in the 1994-95 fiscal budget.

* $220 million through the sale or lease of county real estate, buildings and undeveloped land. The union bases its figure on a 1991 study by the county’s Economy and Efficiency Commission that found that the county owns assets of between $22 billion and $40 billion.

* $100 million projected to be found through an audit of county funds and accounts. The union believes that an independent audit would identify hidden accounts with money that could be used to fund services and programs.

Cedillo said the budget alternative was sent to Reed, and union representatives hope to meet with her before next week’s deliberations.