By Charles Wolfe
The Associated Press

FRANKFORT - Gov. Paul Patton ordered another $30 million in spending cuts, including a reduction of Kentucky's work force.

On Wednesday, he said 1,000 state jobs would be eliminated over the next year but not through firings or layoffs. Instead, he is counting on retirements and normal attrition, Mr. Patton said.

He also said job cuts would be selective, not across the board. "So long as I hold this office, we're not going to take a meat ax to it," Mr. Patton said.

The budget still needs more cutting, he said. At current rates of revenue and spending, the budget would be out of balance by $500 million when the biennium ends in June 2004, even with cuts already made, according to the administration.

Mr. Patton's order also requires:

A moratorium on state contracts. In addition, the Finance Cabinet was ordered to cut spending on contracts already in force. The order did not set a targeted amount.

A reduction of the state motor fleet by 500 vehicles. State employees are to make greater use of motor-pool cars and personal vehicles rather than vehicles that are specifically assigned.

A moratorium on state office space. As existing leases are renewed, no improvements are to be made that would drive up the rent. Agencies also were told to shoot for a 10 percent saving on utility bills and to hold down travel and printing costs.

Mr. Patton devoted much of his news conference to reassuring state employees. Twenty years ago, then-Gov. John Y. Brown Jr. weathered his own budget crisis by resorting to wholesale layoffs. "The trauma of that reverberates today," Mr. Patton said. "One of the great values of state employment is the security of the position and that's worth something."

Mr. Patton also said he would insist that state employees get a cost-of-living raise.