County to Consider Cutbacks in Health Care, Social Services

Ventura County’s health care and social service agencies could undergo a major reorganization bringing cutbacks in both programs and jobs, under a proposal being considered by the Board of Supervisors.

The board Tuesday will discuss hiring a consultant to develop a two-year, cost-cutting plan that would eliminate ineffective programs and merge parts of the two agencies, particularly administrative, payroll and accounting services.

“This is exciting,” Supervisor Frank Schillo said. “This is the first of a series of restructurings for the county.”

Schillo said the county spends more than $13 million of its revenues annually to subsidize both the Health Care Agency and the Public Social Service Agency.

With the county facing a $46-million deficit this year, Schillo said it can no longer afford to do business as usual. He said government must follow the lead of the private sector when it comes to finding creative ways to reduce costs.

“Government needs to shape up,” he said. “We can’t go on being in the hole all the time.”

Schillo and others said the restructuring could result in the loss of jobs either through layoffs or, more likely, through attrition.

“Unfortunately, that will probably be the case,” Schillo said. “I don’t know how you can end up saving money any other way.”

Rather than fill the vacant position of health care director, the board should use some of the money saved to hire a consultant to develop the cost-cutting plan, Acting Chief Administrator Robert C. Hirtensteiner advised in a report.

But Supervisor John Flynn said the county should not waste money hiring a consultant. He said he would prefer that officials in both agencies come up with their own plans for improving efficiency.

“We don’t need a consultant,” Flynn said. “We have enough brain power locally to do what needs to be done.”

But Supervisors Maggie Kildee and Judy Mikels said a consultant would be more impartial and would probably be able to develop the plan quicker. The board hopes to have the plan completed before its budget hearings in July.

“I usually don’t like hiring consultants, but in this case I think it would probably be good,” Mikels said. “We need to have someone who is objective, because this can be a very touchy issue.”

Barbara Fitzgerald, chief deputy of the social service agency, said she looked forward to working with a consultant to develop a cost-saving plan.

“We are certainly open to the idea,” she said. “Whatever is most effective and efficient in providing services to the public. If that results in a merger, we welcome that.”

Fitzgerald said the social service agency, which has nearly 1,000 employees and a $125-million annual budget, is already among the most efficient in terms of delivering services. She said a recent survey of five similar-size counties found that Ventura County spent the least amount of general fund revenues on welfare services. Of the agency’s budget, only $7.1 million comes from the county’s coffers.

“We have done very well in terms of bringing the cost of services down,” she said.

Although favoring consolidation of some services, some county leaders said they are opposed to a full-fledged merger between the health care and social service agencies.

“I don’t like giant government agencies,” Flynn said. “I don’t want to create something that’s too big to manage and that is accountable to no one.”

Pierre Durand, director of the Ventura County Medical Center, has been asked to assist the county in developing its restructuring plan. He could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Durand had been considered the most likely candidate for director of the Health Care Agency, which oversees the entire county health-care system. The position has been vacant since former director Phillipp Wessels died earlier this month of cancer.