DECATUR, Ga. -- More than 60 DeKalb County employees learned on Thursday that they will be laid off.

Officials said 62 people in the county’s development department will lose their jobs. But DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis said Thursday that he originally thought the number would be much higher.

The department is funded independently from money collected through permits and inspection fees. When development in the county slowed, and the money to pay employees dried up, officials said they knew cuts had to be made.

Some jobs were saved when the county commission found money to subsidize the department.

Ellis said that after Friday, only 45 people will remain employed by the development department.

“It keeps us functioning as a department. It keeps us poised for the recovery of the economy and keeps us competitive with neighboring jurisdictions,” Ellis said.

There are 35 open positions in the county. All of the employees who were laid off have applied.