College Officials Hope for State Aid

Despite a $920,000 deficit that threatens programs at Ventura County’s three community colleges, administrators feel confident that state lawmakers will adopt legislation to make up the shortfall.

Vice Chancellor Jeff Marsee told trustees of the Ventura County Community College District that all signals from Sacramento indicate the proposal will become law.

Nonetheless, Marsee presented the board with a worst-case scenario of options if state officials fail to pass the so-called backfill legislation.

The options include using reserves to make up the difference, continuing a hiring freeze, slicing a proportionate amount from each college or laying off employees.

But several trustees said they would rather spend the district’s savings than cut staff.

“We will not lay off people to make this budget work,” trustee Norman J. Nagel said. “If we need to, we’ll use reserves because that’s what reserves are for. There may not be any raises, but there will not be any layoffs.”

The $920,000 shortfall developed because property tax revenues fell below projections, and the state could not deliver as much support to the community colleges as expected.

This is the fourth time in the current fiscal year that revenues have fallen short, Marsee said. He said there may be more adjustments from Sacramento to the district’s $58-million budget before the end of June.

Administrators were able to cover previous deficits of nearly $3 million by implementing the hiring freeze, using a onetime $1-million health insurance refund and downsizing other expenditures.