The Conejo Recreation and Park District board of directors slashed $404,000 from its 200809 budget at last week's July 17 meeting because less revenue is expected from property taxes.

The budget had projected a 5 percent increase in property tax revenue, but the district no longer expects that, said CRPD General Manager Jim Friedl.

Some trees will not get trimmed, vehicles from the district's fleet will not be replaced and part-time positions will not be filled, he said. And there will be other cutbacks.

"Every center will be losing $20,000 from their budget," Friedl said.

That includes Borchard, Conejo, Thousand Oaks, Dos Vientos, Meadows and Hillcrest community centers and the Goebel Senior Center.

"We're cutting back on hours more than we are on personnel," Friedl said.

The centers contract with people who come in and teach classes and provide other services that may prove unaffordable for them now.

The cutbacks will be shared by the parks and planning department, recreation and administrative services, he said.

Ground maintenance will lose about $100,000. The delay in replacing vehicles will save about $100,000 from the CRPD fleet, which includes trucks, backhoes and more than 100 vehicles. About 10 percent of those vehicles had been targeted for replacement, he said.

"We're hoping to provide a continued high level of maintenance and service. Hopefully people won't notice too much," Friedl said.

The budget was about $17.8 million before the cutback to $17.46 million, which is still more than last year's $17.3-million budget, he said.

"Property taxes are considered a stable income. We don't suffer like the state, (which) relies on income and sales taxes," Friedl said.

CRPD will be adding a fulltime pool coordinator position in anticipation of the opening of the pool at California Lutheran University. That person will coordinate all CRPD pools and aquatics programs.

Plans to build Lang Ranch Park will continue to move forward, he said.