Counties across New York are ringing in the New Year with a sense of deep concern over the new reality 2012 will bring.

With Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2 percent cap on property tax increases set to go into effect, workers in a slew of counties will walk away from their government jobs and onto the unemployment lines.

In Western New York’s Chautauqua County, 16 sheriff’s deputies will be among them.

Some counties are entering the New Year with budgets officials worry won’t carry them successfully through the year. Others could exhaust their reserves and fear there will be no cushion left to protect them in 2013.

In Oneida County, there might be dramatic changes to public health services, and libraries likely will lose their county funding.

The tax cap is part of the governor’s push to hold the line on taxes and make it easier for businesses to locate in New York.

Officials from several counties said they understand the need to cut costs. They also said without relief on a host of state mandates, their counties won’t be able to offer the services their residents count on.

“This can only be sustained if we have the mandate relief that has been promised,” Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente said, explaining that many of those costs are going up at a rate higher than 2 percent.

Chautauqua County Executive Gregory Edwards said counties simply are becoming tools of the state…..

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