Schoharie County Supervisors could approve layoffs that would eliminate positions in more than 20 departments in an effort to balance the 2012 budget.
The layoffs could hit almost 60 employees by the middle of next month.
The moves, which supervisors said Friday are just proposals and have not been approved, would heavily hit the Sheriff's office, the Youth Bureau, and emergency medical services.
The potential layoff list was released last Tuesday at the start of the public hearing on the proposed $59.7 million spending plan.
The original budget released by co-budget officers Paul Brady and Alicia Terry call for the loss of 30 full-time positions and a tax hike of eight percent for next year.
After a closed door session, supervisors had a list of positions layoffs, job eliminations and job reductions that totaled 79, nearly one-quarter of the county's workforce.
The list contained 60 potential layoffs, most of which would take effect on December 16, six positions that would be cut from full to part-time and another 13 vacant positions that would be eliminated.
The layoff list targeted 13 corrections officers and nine members of the Sheriff's road patrol.
The county jail was closed after the August 28 flood and since then corrections officers have been used to patrol the streets of Schoharie.
The loss of the jail hurts the county in two ways.
County prisoners have to be taken in Albany County and there is a loss of revenue from the boarding of inmates.
In 2010, the county generated over $900,000 from boarding of prisoners.
The reduction list contains potential layoffs of the following workers at the jail: three cooks (one full-timer and two-part-timers), one cook manager, three corporals, 13 corrections officers (10 full-time and three part-time), and the jail chaplain.
The cuts to the road patrol could include: seven deputies (five full-time and two part-time), and two sergeants.
Supervisors could eliminate the Youth Bureau with possible layoffs to the director, and assistants.
EMS could lose an advanced EMT and deputy EMS coordinator and see the director's position go from full-time to part-time.
Layoffs could also hit the following departments: health, buildings and grounds, public works, county clerk, economic development, mental health, the Office for the Aging, the Old Stone Fort, planning, real property, safety, transportation, and health.
Jobs would be cut from full to part-time in 911 dispatching, elections, EMS, real property, and the treasurer's office.
Vacant positions would be eliminated in the department of social services, emergency management, mental health, personnel and civil service, public works, the sheriff's office and youth bureau.
Even before the additional job cuts the co-budget officers sliced spending by 7.7 percent from $64.7 million to $59.7 million.
Revenues dropped by 12.6 percent from $45.2 million to $39.6 million for the 2012 budget.
In addition to the loss in revenue because of the closing of the jail, the county will also not have a tax sale auction in May.
Supervisors explained Friday that the list is only a proposal and was required because, according to union rules, employees have to be notified at least 30 days before a potential layoff.