Proposed Budget Cuts Called Threat to Public’s Safety : Bankruptcy: O.C. sheriff, district attorney and probation chief warn of increased crime, clogged courts, early jail releases and an end to anti-gang programs.

Proposed budget cuts prompted by Orange County’s financial crisis would lead to an increase in crime, delay the workings of the criminal justice system and jeopardize public safety, top law enforcement officials warned Tuesday.

Inmates would be released from jail early, felony cases would take longer to prosecute, misdemeanor charges might be reduced to infractions and counseling programs for troubled youths and gang members would be eliminated, according to the county’s sheriff, district attorney and chief probation officer.

“We just told the world we can’t do our jobs, and when you tell the world of bad guys you can’t do your job, what happens?” asked Sheriff Brad Gates. “Obviously, this is going to have serious impacts.”

The grim predictions came during the first of three days of public budget hearings on the dramatically scaled-back county budget proposed by Chief Executive Officer William J. Popejoy for fiscal year 1995-96, which begins July 1.

“By the time this board concludes the reviews and adopts the recommended actions of our agencies and departments, we will be a different county,” Board Chairman Gaddi H. Vasquez predicted before the hearings started. “Services will be reduced or eliminated. Personnel levels will be greatly reduced. Funding levels will be substantially reduced and the expectation levels of citizens will have to change.”

Because of the collapse of its investment pool and its subsequent bankruptcy, the county must slash its general fund budget from the $463 million approved before the Dec. 6 bankruptcy to $275 million next year, a 41% cut. As a result, county officials estimate they must lay off 1,040 employees and eliminate 563 more jobs, forcing cuts to many programs and services.

“The revenue losses are severe and permanent,” Popejoy said. “The corresponding reductions must be severe and permanent as well. . . . The road to be traveled over the next few days will be difficult and painful, but it is a road that must be traveled.”

As the dire predictions were being offered, other developments in the county’s recovery efforts occurred Tuesday:

* The Board of Supervisors voted to raise document recording fees, marking its first fee increase since the bankruptcy. The fees are intended to recover the county’s costs of providing services in the clerk-recorder’s office and will bring the county’s charges for those services more in line with those in adjacent counties.

Clerk-Recorder Gary Granville said the increased fees and imposition of a new fee covering documents in real estate transactions would add as much as $2.3 million a year to county revenue.

“I thank you all for your political courage,” Granville told the supervisors.

* Supervisors officially moved to put a number of county properties up for sale and look into privatizing a variety of county services. The two proposals were outlined by Popejoy last week.

Among properties intended for sale are nine libraries, courts, a drug rehabilitation home and a juvenile detention center. The services to be privatized include payroll operations, vehicle maintenance, accounting services and maintenance of county records.

* Popejoy indicated that he might be willing to accept a trustee for the county’s fiscal affairs, even if it means the Board of Supervisors must abdicate authority on financial matters. He said it is unrealistic for the county to ask for financial assistance without expecting input on how to use the money.

“I’m not in favor of a trustee, but it is something we should keep an open mind to,” he said.

* Popejoy cast doubt on the county receiving state aid, saying “we cannot look to Sacramento for a quick fix to our problems.” That sentiment was echoed in Sacramento, where state Treasurer Matt Fong raised doubts about the potential for state aid, suggesting that California’s own tight financial picture could restrict loans or other options.

Fong said he is still reviewing the various recovery proposals, which are scheduled to be discussed today at a meeting of state finance officials. But he suggested there may be problems with proposals to have the state guarantee or purchase about $150 million in “recovery notes” marketed by the county.

The treasurer also said a proposal for the state to lend the county money secured by recovery notes could be difficult because of California’s cloudy financial picture.

“I’ve taken a look at our budget and I don’t know where those resources (for Orange County) are coming from,” Fong said.

Locally, the Magnolia Elementary School District in Anaheim became another possible casualty of the financial crisis. Officials said they plan to notify two music teachers that they may not be rehired for the next academic year.

Supt. Paul S. Mercier said he hopes the district will not have to make cuts in its music program, but it is too early to tell.

“Like everybody else, we’re on a month-to-month basis,” Mercier said. “We’re going to get through March OK. We’re working on April.”

Although public safety remains a top priority for county supervisors, they acknowledged Tuesday that no segment of county government will go unscathed by the financial collapse. Compared to most county departments, public protection agencies have escaped with the least severe cuts and fewest layoffs, they said.

Nonetheless, the county’s sheriff, district attorney and probation officer were quick to say the reductions will take their toll on county residents.

Dist. Atty. Michael R. Capizzi said felony cases would take longer to prosecute if budget cuts are combined with the increased workload created by the state’s tough new “three strikes” sentencing law.

“Defendants who would have pled guilty to a first offense are now demanding a jury trial,” he said. Capizzi said felony prosecutions are up 49% over last year and the number of cases involving gang members has increased 24%.

Because of budget cuts, he said, staffing levels in municipal courts will be reduced and some misdemeanor offenses may be filed as infractions.

“This could have an impact on the quality of life in Orange County,” he said.

But Capizzi said he was willing to do his part. “It’s not going to be easy,” he told the board. “We’re going to ask for tolerance from the public when cases are not handled quickly.”

Sheriff Brad Gates also said his department will also have to make significant sacrifices if the supervisors approve the cuts proposed for his agency. The majority of Gates’ $106-million budget, like Capizzi’s, comes from state money.

Last year, Gates received about $20 million in county funds, but he said he was asked to assume another $10 million worth of duties throughout the year. Next year, Gates said, his department will cost the county just $17 million.

But by reducing those services, he said, public safety may be put at risk. Gates said he has had to suspend one of the department’s helicopter crews, which will increase response time to crimes.

“The bottom line is, a woman, alone, late at night, hears a noise outside her house. In the past, we could have a helicopter there in three minutes. Today, with these cuts, that will not be the case,” Gates said.

The sheriff said he would also be forced to withdraw from the FBI’s bank robbery team, discontinue involvement in a countywide gang-prevention program, reduce staff in overcrowded jails, cut back on officer-training programs, eliminate positions in the coroner’s office and end Neighborhood Watch programs.

Gates said jails will be more dangerous for inmates and deputies alike.

“I’ve had to make some very tough choices,” Gates told the board. “In making these choices, I have placed public safety first. But I also attempted to reduce the negative effects of these reductions on my employees.”

Chief Probation Officer Michael Schumacher’s agency is scheduled to sustain perhaps the greatest cuts of any law enforcement department. He said he would reduce his original 1994-95 budget by $11 million, a cutback that would include closing down the 60-bed Joplin Youth Center, a detention home for juveniles who have committed serious offenses.

Schumacher said he also will eliminate two work furlough programs, reduce electronic surveillance of inmates serving home detentions and cut education and counseling programs for youngsters and adults.

After the hearing, Supervisor William G. Steiner said it would be unpleasant but necessary to make cuts in public safety programs.

“Public safety is going to be impacted to some degree, but I didn’t hear them say the sky was falling down. They want to be part of the solution,” he said. “But their cuts are not even close to other, non-public safety departments. This was a picnic compared to what we’re going to hear Wednesday and Thursday.”

Times staff writer Eric Bailey and correspondents Shelby Grad and Alan Eyerly contributed to this report.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Inflating Service Fees

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to increase a wide variety of fees and decrease one. The changes will add as much as $2.3 million in new revenue to county coffers. Current and proposed fees:

Service Current Proposed Marriage license $27.50* $31.50* Confidential marriage license 30.25* 34.25* Notary bond filing 29.25 33.00 Fictitious business name (FBN) 29.00 31.00 FBN withdrawal/abandonment 29.00 31.00 FBN second/additional names 5.00 7.00 Notary signature verification 8.00 13.00 Copy cost .80 1.00 Marriage ceremony 38.00 31.00 Involuntary lien notices 3.00 8.00 20-day preliminary notice 60.00 63.00 Environmental impact report (EIR) filing 25.00 38.00 FBN name search 5.00 6.00 Official duplicates/recorded documents (1st page) 1.00 3.00 (subsequent pages) 1.00 Copies of maps (1st page) 1.50 6.00 (subsequent pages) 1.00 Conformed copies 1.00 Uniform commercial code search 10.00 15.00 Duplicate marriage license 9.00 25.00 Recording property documents 5.00 7.00

* County portion of fee only

Source: Orange County Board of Supervisors