DES MOINES -- Fewer school fire safety inspections, drug busts and OWI violators taken off the road, cuts in assistance for preschool and college financial aid, and higher school lunch prices are some of the implications of Gov. Chet Culver's 10 percent across-the-board budget cut.

State departments' plans for coping with the governor's cuts also include laying off 791 state government employees and leaving another 529 positions vacant.

The preliminary plan also indicates fewer restaurant inspections, cuts in some family assistance programs, less money for community economic development activities and delaying implementation of fingerprinting and national background checks for child-care employees.

Culver, whose plan calls for a year-end balance of about $150 million in anticipation of another difficult budget in fiscal 2011, said his goal is to do everything to preserve essential services and minimize layoffs.

"It is very important to note that this is the starting line, not the finish line," Culver said Wednesday when the recommendations to chop up to $565 million in general-fund spending were made public.

He ordered executive-branch departments and agencies, excluding the Board of Regents, statewide elected officials, and the Legislative and Judicial branches, to identify cuts after state tax collections took a nose dive.

His office won't be spared. Culver cut his and his chief of staff's salaries 10 percent and other staff will take up to seven days of unpaid leave.

He's concerned about the "disproportionate impact" on public safety. The Department of Corrections, with 4,200 employees, recommended 515 layoffs and leaving 262 vacancies open.

The Department of Public Safety, which recommended 53 layoffs, was able to prevent further cuts by securing a $4 million federal grant.

Culver also opposes cuts in services to children and vulnerable adults. Department of Human Services Director Charles Krogmeier said plans were made for "preserving service and protection for Iowa's most vulnerable people."

He targeted DHS's least-effective programs and those that serve the fewest people. In addition, DHS is proposing an $18 million cut for providers of Medicaid and child welfare services.

DHS has 264 vacant positions and will cut another 79 employees, most of them at juvenile facilities in Toledo and Eldora, Krogmeier said.

The impact will be felt beyond Des Moines, John Frew, Culver's chief of staff, said. Some courthouses or state agency offices may operate four days per week and some services may be consolidated.

Culver wants to force school districts to spend their reserves before raising property taxes to cover state aid cuts. However, Frew said, about 100 of Iowa's 362 K-12 school districts don't have enough surplus to cover the cuts. The cuts are equivalent to 4,000 teachers' salaries, according to the Department of Education.

"It's not an automatic that they simply raise property taxes," he said. "It may well be that they chose to cut services."

Community colleges face a similar challenge. At Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, there are no plans for a mid-year tuition hike or layoffs to cover a $2.4 million cut in state funds, according to Steve Ovel. In anticipation of cuts, the school reduced spending $1.25 million last year and was planning on a similar cut this year. Culver's cut will force the school to double that this school year.

Regardless of the department or service, "there isn't a whole lot of wiggle room when you do a 10 percent across-the-board cut," said Tom Newton of the Department of Public Health.

Fewer people will receive substance abuse treatment services, there will be less funding for substance abuse prevention, tobacco prevention, tobacco cessation services, local public health nursing visits and home health care aide visits, he said.

"Although (Iowans) may not feel it directly on them, they probably know somebody who will be impacted by the reductions in services that we have," he said.

Among those affected will be members of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Council 61.

Related

• Budget cuts by department