Monterey County balances its budget, and waits for news from the state.

Monterey County’s 2009-10 budget is balanced – for now. But this is likely to change as the state struggles to fill its own nearly $24 billion deficit, according to county finance officials.

Earlier this week, Supervisors held hearings on the proposed spending plan, which shrank to $965.3 million after topping $1 billion last year.

“The budget is balanced, albeit precariously, on the edge of the state’s still-growing revenue deficit,” county Administrative Officer Lew Bauman told the board, adding that Sacramento lawmakers’ plans to bring the state’s finances out of the red include deeper cuts to county-administered programs, delaying payments owed to counties, and taking property tax revenue.

Overall, Monterey County may lose $20 million from the state, and that number grows upwards of $99 million including lost federal money and other funding sources. This means that while the county’s recommended 2009-10 budget (www.co.monterey.ca.us/admin/badivision/) stretches dollars to save all but eight jobs and keeps programs intact – although they have been trimmed nearly to the bone – officials may soon have to make additional spending cuts after the state’s budget is adopted.

“These will be probably be some of the roughest times we will ever go through to keep county services alive,” said Supervisor Lou Calcagno.

There are a few areas where Supervisors directed staff to find ways to creatively finance programs, including veterans’ affairs (the recommendation included cutting funding by 18.2 percent) and the Commission on the Status of Women (its funding was eliminated in the proposal). “We want to make sure we support the veterans and the status of women commission,” Calcagno said.

Additionally, while the Convention & Visitors’ Bureau, Arts Council and Film Commission are all recommended to take 20 percent hits, Supervisors agreed to lessen the tourism-promoting cuts.

Supervisors vote on the final budget on June 23.