The Sacramento County Board of Commissioners has voted to approve a new $1.94 billion budget that will see between five and eight percent of the county workforce laid off. Included in the layoffs are some 140 employees of the sheriff’s office. Sheriff John McGinness, however, said that he considered cutting jobs to be a last resort. McGinness said he plans to seek federal funds to balance his department’s budget and avoid layoffs.

The county had been facing a budget deficit in excess of $100 million. Sacramento county currently employs about 12,500 people and is the second largest employer in the region. Only the state of California employs more.