MODEST SWEARING-IN PLANNED SCHWARZENEGGER TEAM RAISING PRIVATE FUNDS FOR CEREMONY.

Byline: Harrison Sheppard Staff Writer

Sensitive to the state's budget crisis, Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger announced plans on Tuesday for a modest swearing-in ceremony Nov. 17 and named more senior staffers, including a Democrat and an independent.

California Chief Justice Ronald George will swear in Schwarzenegger on the morning of Nov. 17 on the west steps of the state Capitol. His transition team said the ceremony would not be followed by elaborate parties or balls that sometimes mark the occasion.

Some 7,500 tickets will be sent to invited guests and standing-room-only areas are expected to be made available for the general public. The team has established a committee to raise about $250,000 in private donations to pay for invitations, chairs, lighting and other bare basics for the ceremony.

Schwarzenegger is expected to get to work quickly. He has promised to repeal the increase in the vehicle license fee on his first day in office. The state Senate plans to go into special session the day after the inauguration to tackle the budget and consider Schwarzenegger's proposal to repeal a bill giving licenses to illegal immigrants, which was signed earlier this year by outgoing Gov. Gray Davis.

On Tuesday he also received a proposal from his economic advisers to reform the state budget process, including a constitutional cap on spending that would tie budget increases to inflation and population growth. He will study the proposal along with others, but does not plan to release details publicly at this point.

Also on Tuesday, Schwarzenegger's team announced several new senior staff members, following earlier announcements of a chief of staff, education secretary and finance director.

``Our goal is to have the Cabinet and senior staff done by the time he lays his hand on the Bible on the 17th,'' said Rob Stutzman, who will become Schwarzenegger's communications director.

The four appointments announced Tuesday were:

--Bonnie Reiss, senior adviser to the governor, focusing on children's issues and keeping entertainment industry jobs in California. Reiss is a Democrat and longtime associate of Schwarzenegger who was a founding director of Arnold's All-Stars, a nonprofit group he started to provide after-school programs to middle schools. She was also president of the Inner-City Games Foundation. She has also been an entertainment lawyer, accountant, producer and writer.

--Rob Stutzman, communications director. Stutzman, a Republican, holds that post on Schwarzenegger's transition team and was a senior spokesman during the recall campaign. Previously he was a communications consultant in Sacramento whose clients included the California Republican Party. Prior to that he was communications director for former state Attorney General Dan Lungren.

--Peter Siggins, legal secretary. Siggins has been working under state Attorney General Bill Lockyer, currently as chief deputy for legal affairs. He is an independent.

--Marybel Batjer, Cabinet secretary. She has been chief of staff to Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn since 2000. She previously worked for California Gov. Pete Wilson as undersecretary for the California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency.

The four positions do not require Senate confirmation.

Harrison Sheppard, [phone]

harrison.sheppard(at)dailynews.com