SEATTLE -- We're all trying to save money -- and that includes King County, which faces a $90 million deficit.

County executive Ron Sims said he's got a plan to at least save a little bit.

Sims did some number crunching and figures that if he moves all of his staff out of leased space in the Columbia Center into empty space in the county's Chinook Building at 5th and Jefferson, he can save the county $400,000 a year.

"The $400,000 annual savings to the general fund can be put to good use by limiting the reductions to critical services such as criminal justice and public health," he said.

But the move to the Chinook building would be temporary, because the county council would ultimately like to have the executive's office in the same building with it.

And $400,000 a year is just a drop in the bucket with a $90 million budget deficit looming.

Sims already asked the sheriff, prosecutor and even the health department to each cut more than 11 percent from their budgets.

"And we're going to go through every element and literally almost approach a zero-based budgeting process with each division to see if what we have now is working and do we need to increase or decrease that amount of money from each division," said County Councilman Pete von Reichbauer.

Sheriff Sue Rahr said she will have to cut more than 100 deputies and staff.

As for the county council's budget -- will there be cuts?

"Everyone has to look at that," said council member Larry Gossett. "But I do not think our staff and budget is currently too big."

Gossett added, "But like the executive, we will probably over the course of the budget process, have to look at cutting back some of our expenditures."

We won't get a look at where Sims wants to make cuts until next Monday, when he reveals his full proposal.

By the way, the county executive's office moved into the Columbia Center six years ago, while the courthouse underwent a retrofit.