Facing an operating deficit upwards of $70 million and amid warnings that revenue continues to decline, Riverside County supervisors on Tuesday maintained they still must find a way to staff the new jail expansion in Banning.

Hiring for the nearly 600-bed expansion at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility, which is expected to be complete in late spring, should have started in summer, Sheriff Stan Sniff told supervisors. Without a big staffing push, the county is facing a situation in which it would simply move inmates from existing cells to the new facility, which wouldn't give the county a net gain in jail space.

Supervisors rejected the idea, arguing they could not spend nearly $80 million on infrastructure — especially at a time when jail overcrowding has meant thousands of inmates are released early each year — only to see it sit empty.

“We must, we must staff this jail, this detention center,” Supervisor Jeff Stone said. “We're going to have to find the resources.”

Riverside County, like many governments, has been forced to make deep budget cuts in response to today's economic realities.

Public safety, which uses the lion's share of Riverside County's discretionary budget, has proved to be a particularly sticky point in fiscal decisions.

Beyond the immediate staffing need in Banning, a proposed mid-county jail also will need to be staffed.

The 7,200-bed facility, which has been discussed for a site along Interstate 10 in Whitewater, would likely be ready in 2013 or 2014. Even in a phased build-out, it would require hundreds of staff.

Supervisors said they wouldn't delay the planning stages on the proposed jail, as a location has yet to be finalized. But they did acknowledge a need to work out a staffing plan before it opens.

A budget plan will be discussed on Nov. 24. Only three supervisors were at Tuesday's meeting and such financial decisions need a four-fifths vote.

“Right now, we're in a very limited revenue status and so we have to look at how these funds shift back and forth,” county Executive Officer Bill Luna said of how jail staffing will factor into the upcoming discussion.

In a budget report presented Tuesday, officials reported that revenue projections needed to be reduced another $20.2 million, bringing the projected discretionary revenue budget to $609 million for the year.

The revenue to the general fund covers most county services, but has been hit hard by the continuing decline of sales and property taxes.

That pushes the county's operating deficit to more than $70million.

In approving the current fiscal year budget, supervisors had dipped into reserves to avoid an initial proposal that called for nearly 1,000 layoffs, slashing public health and closing seven fire stations and the Banning jail expansion.

Cost-saving measures have also been implemented, including a furlough plan that closes most county offices on Fridays.

The glimmer of good news on Tuesday, according to Financial Officer Paul McDonnell, was that the general fund balance carried over from the 2008-09 fiscal year was $44 million more than originally anticipated.

Looking ahead, however, officials warned more cuts will be necessary.

“Any way you slice it, there will be staff reductions,” McDonnell said. “I think that's just the stark reality.”

Supervisor John Tavaglione urged the county to work with unions on an efficiency task force to weigh in on budget issues.

He suggested it be named after the late Riverside County Supervisor Roy Wilson, who had represented the desert before his Aug. 26 death, as it was initially one of his ideas.