County Budget Watch

Los Angeles County supervisors must make $600 million in cuts to balance the county’s $13.1-billion budget. Supervisors have scheduled a series of hearings and deliberations to help them determine what services to cut.

AT ISSUE The Department of Public Social Services, which administers a variety of welfare programs, is facing a $113-million budget cut that will cause reductions in benefits and services to the poorest county residents. Department officials questioned how aid recipients will survive on meager benefit allotments. General Relief allotments are to be cut by 27%, to $212 a month from $293.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS * Department Director Eddy Tanaka told supervisors that the burgeoning welfare caseload probably will continue to grow. * Department workers testified that staff morale is low and dropping as workloads increase and employees are asked to take an 8.25% wage cut.

TODAY’S TESTIMONY Scheduled to testify before the board are: Rob Leonard of the California Homeless and Housing Coalition; Vandella Barnett, deputy director of the Neighborhood Youth Assn., Ralph Aranda of the Southern California Athletic Foundation; Clifford Jones, lifeguard at Jesse Owens Park and Father Gregory Cox, executive director of Catholic Charities.