The union that represents San Bernardino’s sheriff deputies voted last week to reject a proposal to waive their previously-negotiated pay raises for 2010. Because of this decision, says San Bernardino County Sheriff Rod Hoops, the Sheriff department’s budget deficit now stands at $23 million instead of $11 million.

The county has projected that making up the difference would mean laying off 140 deputies, 40 probation officers and 3 District Attorney’s investigators. Despite the grim outlook, Hoops said that he would try to balance the Sheriff Department’s budget without layoffs: “There’s going to be some difficult and hard times to get to $23 million,” Hoops said. “It’s going to be painful.”