KING COUNTY, Wash. -- The King County Council has ratified the county's proposal to impose on its employees 10 days off without pay in 2009 to help deal with the county's $93 million budget deficit.

The council also adopted a motion to cap its members' cost-of-living adjustments to 1 percent. Some council members also agreed to share the burden by returning a part of their own salaries in 2009.

Union and county leadership agreed to adopt the ten-day furlough schedule last month . King County Executive Ron Sims said the days are mostly close to holidays and are among the county's slowest work days.

The plan would help the county save more money on its power bills because electricity and heat could be turned off for one more day around holiday weekends.

Sims has proposed program cuts totaling $80 million, including the layoffs of 237 workers, both union and nonunion.

He gave union leadership credit for the idea of planning the days off close to holidays to make the idea easier for employees to accept and provide a bigger savings for the county.

The proposed 2009 days off are: Jan. 2, Feb. 13, April 10, May 22, June 19, July 6, Sept. 4, Oct. 12, Nov. 25 and Dec. 24.

In response to the plan from the county's executive branch, the King County Council also adopted a plan to close the legislative branch for 10 days without pay.

Their proposed 2009 days off are: Jan. 2, Feb. 13, March 13, April 10, May 22, June 19, July 6, Sept. 4 and Nov. 25, as well as the first Friday during council's August recess.

Those furloughs would save an estimated $450,000 in the legislative branch of King County government, including the County Council, the auditor's office, the hearing examiner, the ombudsman's office and the Board of Appeals.

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