Some exempt state employees will lose their jobs under action taken on the budget Thursday by Gov. Bill Richardson, but it's unclear how many, who or when.

The governor vetoed a Legislature-approved measure that would have cut 102 exempt positions from the payroll, but he agreed to eliminate at least 84. Exempt employees serve at the pleasure of the governor, outside the state personnel system's rules for hiring and firing.

"A lot of individuals will lose their jobs," the governor said. "But again, we have not notified anyone. We are working on that. I want to do this in a humane way."

Richardson, who said the plan could save the state $6 million a year, also said the exempt employees have done valuable work.

"They run state government. And I feel they've been unfairly targeted. But because of the budget situation, we are going to take action on those who perhaps are not in critical areas, and we're going to trim it down. Eighty four (positions) will not be the end of it."

When pressed for exactly how many people will go without work, Richardson said the administration was compiling those numbers. A spokesman also said he didn't think the previously reported number of 60 vacant exempt positions is correct, but didn't provide a current number.

Lawmakers say it's been just as hard getting an accurate count of the number of exempt employees the state currently pays — and how much their ranks have grown since Richardson took office. An administration official has said the number is about 450, but lawmakers say it's higher.

Legislators also say former Gov. Gary Johnson had just 167 exempt employees under his watch, while Richardson officials say Johnson had more than that.

A request this week by The New Mexican for exact figures went unanswered.

The budget cuts are part of the state's plan to tackle a $650 million budget shortfall. Lawmakers met last month and forwarded their savings proposal to Richardson. The overall plan as acted on by Richardson saves $470 million.

While Richardson's plan won't cut the number of exempts that lawmakers had wanted, Sen. John Ryan, R-Albuquerque, called it a "smart" idea.

Ryan spearheaded an effort in the Senate to cut 102 positions, which had broad support in both the Senate and the House.

"I thought with that kind of bipartisan support for eliminating a certain number of exempts, he would have taken a second look," Ryan said. "And maybe he did, and he just couldn't get there."

Still, Ryan said he appreciates the steps Richardson is taking.

"If he's coming 80 percent of the way there, that's better than vetoing it and saying 'I'm not going to do anything and leave me alone and go away.' "

The governor, in rejecting the Legislature's measure, called it "arbitrary and designed to make a political point."

With state government's budget woes only expected to grow, the exempt employee issue isn't likely to fade.

"In January, I think there will still be pressure on him to reduce those exempt by a reasonable number, depending on how many he actually cuts from here to then," Ryan said.

The larger issue of the size of state government also will continue to challenge lawmakers; at the same time that exempt employees will lose their jobs, nearly all state workers will be furloughed for five days during the current fiscal year to help the state fix its budget woes. That move saves the state $10.8 million.

Reporter Steve Terrell contributed to this report.

Contact Kate Nash at 986-3036 or knash@sfnewmexican.com. Read her blog at www.greenchilechatter.com.