Mecklenburg County officials now project an $85 million shortfall for the budget year that starts in July.

Erasing that gap could lead to layoffs of more than 500 county workers and other deep service cuts, the Charlotte Observer is reporting.

Among the possible cuts:

• The county library may close half its branches and lay off 140 workers - almost a third of its employees - in the next two weeks.
   
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Peter Gorman has offered a preliminary plan to cut $63 million and eliminate 842 jobs, including about 600 teachers.

County officials say the projected shortfall is a direct result of a weak economy and lower-than-expected tax revenues, especially taxes generated from new construction and retail sales.

"The recession is over - economists have said it, people have declared it - but this is the eye of the storm for us," Budget Director Hyong Yi told the Observer. "We will feel this for a long time."
 

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