Lyon County could cut 17 positions to fix a budget shortfall of about $1 million.
County officials will decide on the cuts for next fiscal year over the next few months.
The county will tell employees if they will be laid off by the beginning of May.
Under the plan, seven clerks, two sheriff's deputies, two building inspectors, the only code enforcement officer, a library branch manager, a library public relations officer and an animal services officer would lose their jobs. The layoffs will come from 13 departments.
Two other clerks would be changed from full-time to part-time and an empty mechanic position would be cut.
County Manager Dennis Stark said the proposal was made with "a lot of heartache and anguish."
The county has tried to avoid layoffs the last two years by cutting programs and services, but nothing is left to cut besides employees, Stark said.
The county's 400 employees account for about 70 percent of the $34 million general fund.
"The bottom line and last resort is looking at personnel," Stark said.
County commissioners approved the tentative layoff plan last week.
Steve Englert, county human resources director, said the county laid off three employees last year. It avoided more layoffs when many retired employees early, he said.
Employees' last day will be June 30. The new fiscal year starts July 1.
Sheriff Allen Veil said the slow economy makes it a bad time to cut two deputies. The 77 employees his department has are only half of what the county needs as it is, he said.
"It's going to have a huge impact on us," he said.
The cuts would force the department to reduce patrols or school programs, he said.
Police should be a priority for the county, he said, and public safety will be jeopardized by cutting two deputies.
Rick Zierenberg, county code enforcement officer, said the county will be in trouble without his work cleaning up nuisances, investigating for the police and enforcing rules for other departments.
He said he's handled about 800 nuisance complaints, such as junk in yards, during the more than six years he's had the job.
"The losers will be the residents of Lyon County," he said. "It's a shame."