BUDGET PLAN WOULD BOOST STAFFING, PAY.

Byline: David Greenberg Daily News Staff Writer

Capitalizing on rising property values and more money from the state, Ventura County is poised to approve a $956 million budget that beefs up staffing for pesticide monitoring but leaves the future of a homeless shelter in doubt.

The fiscal 1999 budget proposed Thursday includes $573 million in general fund expenditures, a 5.7 percent hike over this year. The $31 million increase would finance salary hikes for the work force, which also would grow from 7,348 to 7,474 positions.

``We are balanced without any reductions,'' said Bert Bigler, chief deputy administrative officer. ``It's a hold-the-line budget. We're able to maintain current programs, and there is additional money for expanded programs.''

Supervisors will begin budget hearings June 28 and must finalize a plan within 10 days.

Agricultural Commissioner Earl McPhail is hoping to increase his staff of inspectors and arm them with laptop computers in order to eliminate a months-long backlog of work and head off criticism of his department.

``I think the administration understands the need for the (inspectors),'' said McPhail, who was placed on employment probation by county supervisors in January. ``If we're going to be able to do more, we have to have the additional resources.''

Kathy Jenks also wants to add staff to expand operations at the RAIN homeless shelter, but none of the $565,000 she requested was included in the proposed budget.

Jenks had hoped to increase the capacity of the shelter once it moves from the Camarillo Airport to the former Association for Retarded Citizens building in Camarillo. But Bigler said the future of the facility is in doubt unless the supervisors take it upon themselves to identify and earmark money for the shelter.

``If the board took no action on RAIN, it would close down,'' Bigler said.

Much of the revenue to finance the $573 million plan is expected to come from higher real estate values in Ventura County. Some 73,000 property owners sought tax breaks when the real estate market sank in the early 1990s, and as many of 40 percent of them now may see their assessments rise in July.

Officials estimate valuations countywide to increase 4 percent, from $47.9 billion to $49.8 billion.

That revenue will go to the general fund, which makes up roughly 60 percent of the entire $956 million county spending plan. The remainder comes from special funds for fire protection, libraries and roads.

With the state now enjoying a $4 billion surplus, county officials are pushing for a cap on the more than $70 million in local taxes it takes each year to fund schools. The county also wants the state to returns as much as $10 million in money already extracted.

``The board would have total discretion to use it wherever they wanted,'' Bigler said.