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North Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- City leaders in North Las Vegas are a lot more optimistic about their budget battle now. The city council has voted unanimously to approve a contract to let Las Vegas house North Las Vegas jail inmates. It's expected to save millions of dollars and many jobs. 

"That cost to the city for those, for that personnel is just more than we are able to sustain at this time because of the way the economy is," says North Las Vegas Mayor Shari Buck.

The City of Las Vegas already approved the inter-local agreement that would net them about $6.8 million a year.

North Las Vegas says the move will save $11 million now and $16 million in the following years. However, it does mean that 85 people will get laid off. Forty-six correction officers will be sent to Las Vegas jail to help with inmates.

"I have a number of people that I personally hired... personally hired because I was their background investigator, and I told them to leave the job that they were at and come work for the City of North Las Vegas because they had a promising future with us. They no longer have that promising future," says one person employed at the jail.

Despite the upset comments, the council approved the agreement citing it as no easy decision.

"We have to do what we have to do to keep this city alive. It's not easy. We have all struggled over the decisions that we have had to make," says North Las Vegas Councilwoman Anita Wood.

Hard decisions that lead to others now deciding where they go from here if they lose their job.

The City of North Las Vegas says the City of Las Vegas has offered to hire 11 corrections officers. North Las Vegas Police officials say there are state detention jobs available to those who want to continue in the same line of work.