The bloodletting isn't over yet -- at least not when it comes to layoffs and cuts in Merced County's public sector. </p><p>On Tuesday, the Merced County Board of Supervisors voted to lay off 19 employees and cut library hours across the county because of current and projected budget shortfalls. Supervisor Mike Nelson voted against the layoffs. </p><p>This new round brings the total number of layoffs during the past year to 121. </p><p>"It's going to get worse before it gets better," said Supervisor Jerry O'Banion, before the vote.</p><p>Thirteen of the layoffs will come from the Department of Workforce Investment; three from the Planning Department; one from the assessor's office; one from the district attorney's office; and one from the Probation Department. </p><p>The last day of work for the 19 will be Sept. 24. As part of the cuts, 25 open positions in the county will be eliminated.</p><p>The layoffs and reductions in service were partly because of unforeseen federal aid reductions, as well as revenue shortfalls. They were also in part a preparation for an even more dire budget shortfall in coming years, said Larry Combs, Merced County's CEO. </p><p>In 2011, the county predicts it may have a $13 million shortfall and an additional $9 million in the two following years. This budget year's shortfall is more than $7 million. </p><p>Despite the bleak revenue outlook, union representatives and former and current workforce department employees said the layoffs unfairly targeted line staff and that the county failed to look at other options.</p><p>"How in the world can you justify this?" said Mary McWatters, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. </p><p>The county also failed to look at other cost-saving measures, she said. She added that few managers lost their jobs in this round of layoffs. These cuts will make many departments top heavy, she said. For example, she said, now 12 managers will oversee 15 employees in the workforce department. </p><p>Anthony Gallegos, who recently retired after nearly 20 years in the workforce department, said he's seen three rounds of layoffs in 10 years and has never seen management positions cut.</p><p>"You know what happens when you keep stacking and stacking? It gets to be top heavy and falls," he said. </p><p>Workforce's executive director, Andrea Baker, said state and federal money was cut this month. </p><p>The 13 workforce positions had been funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, she said. She added that she hadn't seen the reductions coming because they are part of an equation tied to the change in the unemployment rate. She said the state as a whole lost 6.9 percent of its funding and Merced County saw a 12.3 percent reduction in funding. </p><p>As for allegations of her department being top heavy, Baker said that many of the positions are mandated and others are needed to run programs and organizations. </p><p>Robert Morris, the county's director of human resources, said there are a number of empty positions that may be filled by those who will lose their jobs. </p><p>The county was able to reinstate 60 of the 121 people who were laid off into new positions over the past year, said Combs.</p><p>The Board of Supervisors also voted to cut service to the county's libraries, which will reduce their hours of operation an average of 11 hours a week, saving the county nearly $100,000. </p><p>As part of the cuts, all existing library staff will reduce their work week to 32 hours. The county estimates it will save $97,407 with these wage cuts and roughly another $100,000 from other cuts.</p><p>Reporter Jonah Owen Lamb can be reached at (209) 385-2484 or jlamb@</p><p>mercedsun-star.com.