County to Pay Medical Benefits of Reservists : Gulf War: The Board of Supervisors rejects a proposal to supplement the pay of workers called to active duty.

The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to continue paying the medical benefits of county employees for five months after they are called to active duty in the Persian Gulf War, but rejected a proposal that the county supplement their military pay.

The proposal that the county make up the difference between the civilian and military salaries of county workers, made two weeks ago by Supervisor Maria E. VanderKolk, was turned down by the board on grounds that it would be too complex to administer.

While balking at the salary proposal, the board did agree to establish an emergency fund that will allow other employees to convert their unused vacation days to cash donations to aid financially strapped families of reservists.

State law requires that employers pay the regular salaries and benefits of employees for 30 days after reservists are called to active duty and that employees be guaranteed a job when they return.

The board’s decision extends county medical and dental benefits for an additional 154 days. County benefits are substantially higher than military health benefits that county employees would receive as reservists while on active duty, officials said.

The board’s action follows the lead of the Simi Valley City Council, which last week voted unanimously to supplement the pay that reservists receive from the military so it equals their regular city salary.

The Simi Valley plan also keeps health benefits for reservists at the same level.

Several national companies, such as General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., IBM Corp., Walt Disney Co. and Sears, Roebuck & Co., have also continued their employee benefits at least 30 days past the legal requirement.

There are 64 Ventura County employees in the reserves--15 of whom have been called to active duty. It would cost $90,000 per month to extend the benefits if all county employees in the reserves were called to duty, according to county officials.

However, because county officials plan not to replace the employees called to duty, the county will not spend any more for medical benefits than it would have if the reservists were not called up.

“I really think it’s important that we show support for these employees in the Gulf,” said VanderKolk, who proposed two weeks ago that the county extend some form of aid to employees in the reserves.

Ronald W. Komers, personnel department director, said most county departments will try to continue to operate without hiring temporary replacements for employees called to fight.

Already called to duty are a director of nursing, a helicopter repair person and a sheriff’s deputy, all of whom would be difficult to replace on a temporary basis, Komers said.

To buttress the argument that the county should continue medical benefits for reservists, Komers said some reservists and their families would face hardships without the county’s benefits program.

For example, Komers said the wife of one employee called to duty is five months pregnant and would be unable to see her regular obstetrician if the county benefits package were eliminated.

The emergency reserve fund, suggested by Supervisor Vicky Howard, will be administered by the Ventura County chapter of United Way. Komers said 30 employees in his department have already volunteered to donate some vacation time.

VanderKolk had proposed that the county supplement an employee’s military pay so that it equals the county salary. On average, military pay is about 50% lower than county pay, according to county officials.

Providing the difference between military and county pay would cost the financially strapped county as much as $500,000 per month if all reservists are activated, according to the county report.

However, the supervisors rejected her proposal after Komers said it would be an “accounting nightmare” to try to identify the salary of each reservist and supplement the difference.

He said San Bernardino County has had bookkeeping difficulties since adopting a similar policy in September.

Since hostilities began in the Persian Gulf, San Luis Obispo, Riverside and Orange counties have continued medical benefits for employees in the reserves. Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Mateo counties, as well as the state of California, provide the difference between the employee’s military and government salary for an additional 150 days.