Plenty of Places to Cut County Budget

This time of year our county supervisors again begin the arduous task of budget preparation in hopes of eliminating a deficit of about $15.5 million.

We would like to take this opportunity to make a few suggestions to the supervisors:

Revise the county employee retirement plan. Presently, employees with enough years of service can receive a pension in excess of 100% of their salary. There is no logical reason for such a generous retirement plan at the expense of the taxpayers. Further, when revising the retirement plan, do not look to other counties for comparable plans, but pattern a plan after the private sector. Taxpayers in Ventura County are currently spending about $18 million a year to fund the retirement plan. In addition, abolish the pension cost of living adjustment that applies to only the supervisors.

Revise employee benefits. Abolish the concept of annual leave, which is a combination of vacation and sick leave, allowing an employee to use the entire amount or be compensated for that portion that is unused. The current plan allows the privileged class at the executive level to receive six weeks leave in its first year on the job, which again is too generous. The buy-back provision of unused annual leave costs in excess of $9 million a year. This cost was spelled out in the county budget until a few years ago when it mysteriously disappeared. It is still in the budget, but hidden.

Allow all employees the same graduated vacation schedule; one week the first year on the job; two weeks for years two through 10; three weeks from years 10 through 20; four weeks from years 20 through 25; five weeks from years 25 through 30; and a maximum of six weeks after 30 years of employment. Provide sick leave to be used only in cases of illness.

Review the budget item “books and publications,” which run more than $430,000 a year.

Review the budget item “membership dues,” which account for more than $500,000 a year.

Those memberships are in organizations that hold conferences. Attendance by county employees at conferences costs the taxpayers more than $700,000 a year.

Review the fire district budget and the extraordinary increases over the previous year. Uniform allowance in 1995-96 was $115,000, but increased this year to $251,000. Safety clothing and supplies increased during the same period from $89,500 to $359,900. Radio expenses increased from $23,400 to $499,300. Computer services increased from $63,100 to $246,000.

Lastly, the county budget should eliminate the line item “special department expense,” which is the same as saying miscellaneous. The public is entitled to know what the budget dollars are for, and hiding under special department expense doesn’t do it. One agency of the county has 26 line items identified as special department expense, which total $1.3 million. In 75 department budgets, the total hidden in special department expense is $45,178,300.00.

For that amount of money we should be able to read the budget and see where it is being spent. We suggest that with some prudent trimming, the budget deficit can be reduced.

JERE ROBINGS

President, Ventura County

Alliance of Taxpayers