Island County will solve its budget problems by eliminating 23 jobs, cutting the hours of 15 employees and giving nine employees unpaid furloughs.

County commissioners will hold a public hearing on revisions to the 2009 budget at 10:45 a.m. Monday in the commissioners’ hearing room in the County Annex Building in Coupeville. Officials will review a list that totals $2.4 million in cuts.

The planning department will bear the brunt of the job losses, with seven positions targeted for elimination. The department will lose an assistant planner, a watershed project manager, two plans examiner/building inspectors, a planning tech, a development services manager and an accounting supervisor.

The reductions in the planning department are expected to save $204,200 in salaries and benefits.

Countywide, seven of the 23 jobs that will be cut are unfilled positions.

Nine employees will take unpaid furloughs through the end of the year to help balance the budget. The furloughs range from three to 14 days.

The job cuts are due to falling returns on investment earnings, sales taxes and permit fees.