Funding Urged to Buy Libraries More Time : Spending: Supervisors meeting today to trim $19 million from the county budget will weigh proposal to allocate $1 million to keep system running until March.

With several libraries preparing to shut their doors, Ventura County’s chief administrative officer Monday recommended giving $1 million to keep the financially battered county library system afloat a few more months.

Administrator Lin Koester also proposed allocating $496,000 to maintain services at the East County Courthouse, $420,000 to the county auditor-controller’s office and $164,000 to the assessor.

The money would come largely from $4 million in unexpected revenues, including $1 million in increased property tax money and $1 million from the district attorney’s child support division, officials said.

“There’s still some problems with the budget,” Supervisor John Flynn said, “but it doesn’t look as bad as everybody thought it was going to be.”

The Board of Supervisors will meet today to begin cutting $19 million from annual expenditures to help eliminate a $38-million deficit. They plan to cut an equal amount next year.

During a final budget presentation to supervisors Monday, Koester recommended allocating an additional $200,000--on top of the $800,000 already proposed--to the Library Services Agency.

If approved, the proposed $1-million county subsidy would be enough to keep all of the county’s 16 branch libraries open until March, officials said. Seven libraries had been slated to close--in Oak Park, Meiners Oaks, Oak View, El Rio and Piru, as well as the Saticoy and Avenue branches in Ventura.

“I am very pleased with the recommendation,” said Dixie Adeniran, director of the county’s Library Services Agency. “But the board still has to vote on it.”

A majority of the supervisors support Koester’s recommendation, saying that more time is needed to develop another source of funding for the library agency. The cities of Ventura and Ojai have agreed to place a parcel tax measure on the November ballot to help pay for their libraries.

“This will buy us some time,” Supervisor Judy Mikels said of Koester’s recommendation. “Libraries are not mandated by the state, but they are important to all of us.”

Besides keeping the seven libraries open, Adeniran said the money would allow the library agency to operate its adult literacy program through next summer.

However, she said her agency would be forced to discontinue its preschool literacy program and that there would be no money to purchase books and materials.

At a public hearing Monday night, dozens of library supporters urged the board to provide funding to keep the facilities operating and to keep the literacy programs running.

Koester told the board the county should provide money for the auditor-controller and the assessor because both generate revenue for the county. The auditor-controller ensures cost savings through department audits, and the assessor collects property taxes for the county.

Koester’s recommendation for the East County Courthouse would restore $496,000 to its budget. Court officials last week had threatened to scale back services there by half.

The courthouse is staffed by two court commissioners, who hear mostly traffic, divorce and minor criminal cases.

“It’s vital to keep the courthouse open and to keep providing the minimal services we’re providing,” said Mikels, whose district includes Simi Valley. “People who live in the east county and have to travel to the courthouse in Ventura end up spending more money than people who live in the west county.”

Koester made no recommendations for providing additional funding for the county’s health-care system, which is facing a combined $3.8-million cut. Mental Health Services would take the single largest cut of any county department, about $2 million, resulting in the loss of 29 hospital and nursing-home beds reserved for the mentally ill.

More than 100 mental-health advocates urged supervisors to protect services for the severely mentally ill.

“It’s a no-win situation,” said Camarillo resident George Vandeman, who said his 53-year-old son suffers from mental illness. “Unless these people get the care they need, they’re going to be back out on the streets.”

Public Social Services is also facing a proposed $1.2-million cut.