The Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees interviewed finalists for the chancellor's position Friday but came out of a marathon closed session without making any decisions on filling the job.

Judy Walters and Charles Taylor, both administrators at the Peralta Community College District in Oakland, were interviewed for about 90 minutes each in a closed session that lasted nearly six hours.

After the meeting, board President Art Hernandez said the trustees would decide how to proceed at their next meeting, on June 17.

"We're continuing to look at all our options," he said. "We won't be making any decisions until our next board meeting."

The trustees must decide quickly how they will fill the district's top job. Interim Chancellor James Walker has said he would like to leave the job by the end of the fiscal year, which is June 30.

Hernandez said time is a concern, but he hopes the board will be able to move quickly after it meets again. The trustees spent nearly two hours discussing the issue before ending Friday's meeting.

"The interviews took longer than we planned for," Hernandez said. "We had some discussion and agreed to have more discussion at the next board meeting."

Before the trustees began the interviews, community activist David Maron urged them to proceed with caution.

"I think we all see a lot of red flags" concerning the two candidates. Maron said. "One prudent thing would be to start looking at a backup plan. If you do take one of the candidates, consider offering just a one-year contract."

Walters, senior vice chancellor for educational services, and Taylor, senior vice chancellor for administration and finance, are employed by a district that has faced months of turmoil. Peralta's chancellor was ousted in part because of his spending on international travel, and a longtime board member lost a re-election bid.

If neither Walters nor Taylor is selected for the post, the trustees likely would appoint a new interim chancellor to lead the district, then launch another search.

Before Friday's interviews, Elena Nua, president of the district's classified employee union, urged the trustees to leave the position unfilled to save money. A number of classified employees have been laid off or had their hours reduced because of the state budget crisis.

"I strongly urge you to drop the process for hiring a new chancellor," she said. "The current administration we have right now really make a good team" and could lead the district for the next year.