There will be no more layoffs.

The Centre County commissioners have finished eliminating county positions, according to Chairwoman Vicki Wedler. The commissioners will begin reviewing department functions as the next step in balancing the county's budget.

"Basically the layoffs, the down-sizing, is completed," Wedler said. Wedler referred to "down-sizing" as a method to control the budget, which included eliminating 16 positions and cutting the hours of another position.

The transportation director, assistant district attorney and assistant public defender positions were among those eliminated. Several clerical positions were also cut.

Larry Bickford, director of administrative services, said the layoffs will save the county about $300,000 every year.

The county also decreased purchases and kept several positions vacant, Wedler said, adding that the commissioners now plan to "right-size" the county by increasing efficiency in each department. Wedler said that may mean reorganizing or combining some departments.

And the $600,000 Penn State recently agreed to pay the county every year in lieu of paying property taxes is not enough to make an impact on the county's fiscal problems, Bickford said.

The University agreed to pay the county in an out-of-court settlement Wednesday to avoid a court battle over the taxability of University land.

Wedler said she was pleased with the settlement.

"Anytime we can increase revenue, we're happy," Wedler said.

County Controller Donald Asendorf said that the county's fiscal problems have been building for several years, but became more evident this year.

"It's not anything that happened overnight," Asendorf said.

Wedler said the commissioners will meet with every county employee to discuss the layoffs and budget-reducing attempts to make sure that morale is kept high.