Report Calls Crop Inspectors Underpaid

Ventura County’s agricultural inspectors are grossly underpaid and lack the support they need to monitor pesticide usage on county farms, according to a grand jury report.

The report, which was released Thursday, recommended the county postpone plans to merge the agricultural commissioner’s office with the county’s Office of Weights and Measures until the problems are corrected.

The grand jury investigated the feasibility of merging the two agencies as part of a streamlining effort. All but two counties in the state have already done so.

The report found that county agriculture inspectors--depending upon education and experience level--earn between $22,961 and $38,825 annually, the lowest pay of any Southern California county.

The starting pay for inspectors in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Diego and Riverside counties is greater than the top salary earned by Ventura County inspectors.

Inspectors, who must have bachelor’s degrees in agriculture or biology, oversee and regulate pesticide use, tally crop totals and monitor the county’s myriad of pest-control efforts.

Meanwhile, inspectors with the county’s Office of Weights and Measures earn between $27,890 and $46,087 a year and are not required to have bachelor’s degrees.

The grand jury report made a number of recommendations to bring the office “into the 20th century,” including pay raises, equipping offices with personal computers and answering machines and relocating the commission office from Santa Paula to a more central location.

For a county so dependent on agriculture, the grand jury’s report came as a surprise to some county officials.

Supervisor Frank Schillo, who has been vocal in his criticism of the commission in the past, said any plans to merge the two agencies should be postponed to determine whether Commissioner Earl McPhail is able to make the agency more effective, in part by strengthening pesticide enforcement.

“Any merger is a bad idea right now,” Schillo said. “I think it’s only fair to give them time and see what can be done.”

Ventura County ranked second among Southern California counties in total agricultural production in 1997 and 11th in the entire state, generating $942 million in income.