The state budget deficit was on the minds of Ventura County seniors who met Wednesday in Simi Valley to discuss how cuts might affect senior programs in the area.

About 25 members of the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging attended a meeting of the agency's advisory council at the Simi Valley Senior Center. The council advises the county on senior programs and services.

Advisory council members gave committee reports at the meeting in categories such as health issues and community outreach.

Victoria Jump, director of the Area Agency on Aging, noted in her report that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's May revised budget was released Wednesday. In his report, the governor says the state budget deficit could reach more than $24 billion if left unchecked.

"In anticipation of the revised budget, the county has asked all departments to be fiscally conservative in spending, particularly with programs that are funded with state general fund dollars," Jump said.

Darlene Benz, a council representative from Ventura, said the agency saw an increase of more than $2 million in federal funding for senior programs, but state cuts have offset that.

"Due to the redistribution of federal funds and 5 percent cut in state funds, (the Area Agency on Aging) ended up losing more money than anticipated," Benz said.

Proposed cuts in agency programs for seniors include $2.5 million from the Multipurpose Senior Services Program, $1.2 million from community-based services, $250,000 from the long-term-care ombudsman, $253,000 from congregate nutrition and $316,000 from home-delivered meals.

Susan White, a program specialist for the agency's senior nutrition services, said funding has become a challenge for the county's congregate meal program, which provides meals at senior centers and home delivery for shut-ins over 60.

"While the program has operated under a business model that has worked well over the last three years, the increasing costs of food and transportation are a huge challenge for the (agency) and its program partners," White said.

White said an increasing number of seniors are participating in the program. "As we strive to serve more seniors and the fixed costs of our programs continue to rise, the efforts of individual programs to raise funds will become more and more essential. This is not speculation," she said.