Santa Barbara County budget previews continue Tuesday, with the remaining 16 departments expected to make less-dramatic presentations to the Board of Supervisors than what was heard last week.

The board began the proceedings Tuesday with dire predictions of severe overwork and ensuing mayhem if budget gaps in the Sheriff, Fire, Probation, District Attorney and Social Service departments were filled by cutting staff and services.

These worst-case-scenario illustrations come four months before formal budget sessions in June, at which time the five supervisors must adopt a balanced spending plan for the 2010-11 fiscal year.

The mental health division of the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Services (ADMHS) Department is facing a $6.6 million budget gap caused by declining revenues and increased salaries, benefits and pension costs.

A possible solution is to decrease the amount of services provided to people without any type of insurance, basically very low-income and homeless individuals, according to department staff.

More than 3,300 uninsured clients, approximately 38 percent, sought treatment from ADMHS in the 2008-09 fiscal year, according to the department’s presentation.

The department’s alcohol and drug programs are a slightly more manageable $1.4 million over budget, which could be mitigated by eliminating all treatment services to first- and second-time non-violent drug possession offenders, staff reported.

The county Parks Department has a $1.7 million budget gap, which it plans to fill by cutting vacant positions, reducing sheriff patrols at campgrounds, and eliminating early retirements, overtime and extra help.

These cost-saving measures would affect the Cachuma Lake and Cuyama pools by reducing summer hours, according to the staff presentation.

The Planning and Development Department has a $1.2 million budget shortfall, and proposals to bridge the gap include cutting nearly $500,000 from the Long Range Planning division, and eliminating the staff member assigned to a citizen’s oversight committee for the department procedures.

Other potential service-level impacts include cutting public counter hours to less than five a day and eliminating two code-enforcement agents.

If the remaining departments finish within the allotted four hours Tuesday, the supervisors are scheduled to deliberate, and then give county staff direction on how to craft the proposed budget.

Ideas listed so far include reorganizing departments, cutting unnecessary divisions, and negotiating with unions to decrease salaries and benefits.

Based on a inquiry from 2nd District Supervisor Janet Wolf, another plan could possibly include taking a percentage out of employee salaries higher than $100,000.

The Board of Supervisors meets at 9 a.m. in the hearing room on the fourth floor of the county Administration Building, 105 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara.

The public can address the board in person or by using the remote audio and video equipment at the Betteravia Government Center, 511 E. Lakeside Parkway, Santa Maria. For more information, visit countyofsb.org.