COUNTY ADOPTS $15 BILLION BUDGET; PAYROLL TO GROW BY 4,900 POSITIONS TO 89,360.

Byline: Douglas Haberman Staff Writer

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Monday adopted a $15 billion balanced budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, about $1.3 billion more than in this fiscal year.

Projected income is $622 million more than previously anticipated, mostly as a result of more state and federal revenues coming in, Chief Administrative Officer David Janssen said.

``It's great. We're adding new programs and services,'' he said.

One example is a state-funded $1.24 million program to provide services from psychiatric social workers for juvenile defendants diagnosed as having learning disabilities, mental health problems or substance-abuse problems. The goal is to keep them from being defendants again, said Assistant Public Defender Robert Kalunian.

After severe cutbacks during the recession in the early 1990s, this budget adds 4,900 positions, increasing the total number of county employees to 89,360. The county government is the largest single employer in Los Angeles County.

Most of the new positions are in welfare, mental health and sheriff's departments and in services for abused and neglected children.

Of the $622 million in previously unanticipated revenues, $260 million is in Proposition 10 tobacco tax funds, Janssen said in an interview. He said county government has no discretion on how this money is spent, and an independent commission has begun meeting to decide how it will be allocated. The voter-approved law earmarks the money for child-development programs.

The surging economy is expected to bring in $53.6 million more than once forecast from property taxes and vehicle license fees.

County officials have discretion on use of this revenue and expect to spend about $20 million of it on deferred maintenance. About $10 million of it is needed for new sewer pipes at county probation facilities, including Barry Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar, county spokeswoman Judy Hammond said.

She said repairs also will be made in plumbing, air conditioning and heating in many county buildings.

A smaller chunk, $3.4 million, will go to open and staff 120 jail beds for drug rehabilitation and domestic violence intervention programs at the Sheriff's Department's Biscailuz Recovery Center near Monterey Park.

The rest, about $308 million, is mainly federal and state revenue for specific programs. The county cannot use it for other purposes, but can hire more workers in many departments whose staffs have complained of too-heavy caseloads.

``The budget we passed today is a responsible budget,'' said Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, whose district includes the San Fernando Valley. ``We are not spending beyond our means.''

Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich said in September the board also will consider Sheriff Lee Baca's request for 1,000 more deputies. The department already has about 8,000 deputies.