Police and fire union members are sending out a call for help, saying keeping their jobs means keeping you safe.
"What we're down to is whether the citizens want us to cut our core services or not," said Phil Evans, President of the local Fraternal Order of Police, the police departments' union.
The mayor has asked each city department to make 2.5% in reductions from their budgets, from there city leaders will determine what cuts to make.
"It may be that as we look at it as a team, we will determine that there is one department that actually needs to maintain the status quo more significantly than another because of the impact to the citizens," said Mayor Kathy Taylor, (D)-Tulsa.
For the Tulsa Fire Department, that's $1.5 million dollars, but the firefighters' union did anticipate future cuts and planned ahead by stating those cuts in its contract. Those adjustments include: decreases in firefighters' overtime, clothing allowances, cutting a fire academy and holding back on raises through the pay grade system.
Still, there's another half million the department needs to cut.
"We still have to figure out a way to make up for that portion and that's proving to be challenging," said Stan May, the president of the local firefighters' union.
As for the FOP, it says the department's helicopter may stay grounded. "It allows us to not chase people as much in police cars, that saves lives. It allows us to catch people," said Evans.
Evans also says layoffs are a strong possibility and just hopes a federal grant the city received would save 18 of those positions.
The mayor says she'll meet with her management team again Monday to discuss possible cuts.
