Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino said yesterday he will propose hundreds of layoffs, if necessary, to avoid raising property taxes.

Astorino, a Republican who took office on Jan. 1 after campaigning as a tax fighter, said he inherited a projected $166 million deficit for 2011, far higher than the $60 million he said he was told about.

If he tried to cover the gap with property taxes alone, he said, it would mean a 30 percent hike in county taxes for Westchester homeowners, who already pay the highest taxes in the country.

“The measures I am calling for protect essential services and provide for a zero percent increase in the county’s property tax levy,” he said.

Union leaders could limit jobs lost by accepting pay cuts, pay freezes, furloughs and buyouts, he added.