Up to 20 firefighters could be laid off

Mayor Doug England pleaded with the council to shift salary related expenses from the fire and police budgets to the Economic Development Income Tax account for 2010; he said unions are going to have to concede on some of their demands or face layoffs. Most of England's warnings were directed at the fire union, as the majority of the requested EDIT appropriation would go to the department. More than $1 million would be used to keep current fire department staffing levels including ambulance personnel