WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Whatcom County is in the process of clearing a major checkpoint in its biennial budget planning.

The Whatcom County Council heard presentations from several departments on Tuesday, Sept. 22, breaking down the budget recommendations from the executive’s office.

The sheriff’s office would see the most job cuts with nine positions expected to be eliminated in the recommendations, including six patrol deputies.

Sheriff Donnell Tanksley criticized the potential reductions in an address to the council on Tuesday.

“The county has made a commitment to its residents that when they call 911, we will come. That commitment requires people, and those people are deputies,” Tanksley said.

Meanwhile, the public defender’s office would add an assistant chief deputy position and have five more full-time equivalent employees transfer from the clerk’s office.

Public works would add an engineer for flood-related projects and have $30 million allocated for the county’s flood fund, which was made a priority in the budget recommendations.

The council will hear presentations from the rest of the departments at their next meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 29, including health and community services and the prosecutor’s office.

The budget recommendations will be subject to a public hearing ahead of their final approval in November.