126 King Co. employees will be laid off; others might be

King County managers told 126 employees today they will be laid off at the end of the year to balance the troubled county budget.

The new layoffs, combined with earlier layoffs and unfilled vacancies, will reduce the county's total payroll by about 390 out of nearly 14,000 full-time workers, said Carolyn Duncan, spokeswoman for County Executive Ron Sims.

Another 134 employees were informed they will be laid off June 30 if their programs — supported by six months of "lifeboat" spending — don't receive funding for the rest of 2009. The Sims administration will ask the Legislature for authority to keep those programs alive by transferring money from other county spending accounts.

The county is cutting back on jobs and services because falling revenues and rising costs have left it $93 million short of what it would take to maintain current service levels next year in the general fund. Sims submitted a budget proposal Monday that would reduce general-fund spending from $659 million this year to $644 million next year. The Metropolitan King County Council will vote on the budget next month.

Sims' office said Monday that as many as 255 workers might receive layoff notices today, but about half of those positions were already vacant, Duncan said.

Agencies particularly hard hit include public health, where 45 jobs are being eliminated through layoffs or attrition, and the Water and Land Resources Division, with 32 jobs.

More layoffs are likely. County Budget Director Bob Cowan said Monday that Sheriff Sue Rahr hasn't told his office how she plans to achieve $5.4 million in planned cuts and an additional $2.2 million of cuts that will have to be made next June if the county doesn't have money to continue "lifeboat" programs.

Rahr said Monday she could be forced to eliminate up to 70 jobs, mostly sheriff's deputies.

Employees being laid off will be offered other jobs with the county if there are suitable and funded openings. They are also being offered coaching in writing résumés and applying for outside jobs, Duncan said.

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com