The equivalent of at least 22 positions will be eliminated under the Island County commissioners’ finalized list of $2 million in reductions.

The cuts in “full-time equivalents” includes the reductions in some workers’ hours and furlough days, though it looks like about 12 currently-employed, full-time and part-time employees may lose their jobs. Many other positions are already vacant through attrition or preemptive layoffs.

The planning department will lose the most people, with six full-time and one half-time positions eliminated.

The last working day for folks who are laid off will be May 29.

The force reduction figure doesn’t include WSU Extension. Director Judy Feldman said she’s hasn’t decided on how to reduce her budget by $67,000, which is a 32 percent cut. The number also doesn’t include a department head who may lose his or her job under a proposal to merge county departments, possibly involving general services administration, human resources, central services and facilities.

The cuts in the general fund will be the second round of layoffs for the county this year. The commissioners carved $2 million out of the fund last December, which amounted to the loss of 31 positions.

Monday, the commissioners approved the finalized list of reductions without making changes from what they discussed during grueling meetings last week. The cuts are for the 2010 budget, but they will go into effect this year. The county will use up to $1.5 million in reserves to get through the end of this year.

Commissioner Angie Homola argued in favor of a furlough day on the day before Christmas to save some money, but the other two commissioners felt it wouldn’t work for a small, understaffed county.

“I’m struggling with what happened to parks,” Homola said, pointing to the 37 percent cut the department is facing. It’s the largest percentage reduction of any department.

“We only have a shadow of the funding that was there two years ago,” Public Works Director Bill Oakes said after the meeting. The parks department was recently moved to his department. In the two rounds of cuts, parks lost 57 percent of its funding.

The commissioners also pointed out that the commissioners are only cutting the general fund, whike most department receive funding from other places. The health department, for example, receives sizable funding from a variety of sources — from the federal government to fees.

“The budget reflects our priorities,” Commissioner Helen Price Johnson said. “But the general fund is only part of the picture.”

The only revenue increase in the budget comes from a hike in land-use fees, which will bring in an estimated $10,000 extra a year.

The commissioners tried to find places to cut without affecting employees, but in the end, about $1.4 million in reductions came from salaries, wages and benefits.

The cuts in positions include those that are currently unfilled and at least one planned retirement. Here’s a rundown of the employee reductions:

• The Assessor’s Office is losing a full-time programs administrator and a part-time assistant. Other employees are taking furlough days.

• The Auditor’s Office is losing a half-time deputy auditor in recording and a temporary accountant will be laid off.

• Central Services will cut a senior technician.

• The Clerk’s Office will reduce the hours of three employees.

• The Commissioners Office will face reductions in hours for four positions.

• District Court will eliminate a probation director and a court clerk.

• Facilities is losing a half-time custodian and another custodian will be reduced to half-time.

• The General Services Administration will have reduced hours for three employees.

• The Human Resources director will have two furlough days a month.

• Parks will lose a 0.8, seasonal position on Whidbey. A 0.75 position on Camano will be reduced to .25. A full-time position on Whidbey will be reduced to part-time.

• Planning will lose six full-time positions, including a watershed project manager, two plans examiners, a planning tech, a development services manager, an accounting supervisor. Also, the office will lose a half-year assistant planner.

• The prosecutor will cut a deputy prosecutor.

• The sheriff will cut three deputies and a corrections deputy.

• Superior and juvenile courts will lose an administrative assistant and a services coordinator will be reduced to half-time.

• The treasurer will cut an administrative assistant to part-time.