The City of Peoria is already missing $31 million from its budget due to COVID-19. To make up for it, the city council says cuts to police and fire are not out of the question.

Firefighters’ Union President Ryan Brady says there is nothing left to cut. In fact, he says any cuts could lead to longer response times. Adding that an extra minute or two could lead to catastrophic consequences.

At the start of 2020, Brady says the union was optimistic, as the city expected strong revenue. Now with COVID-19 wreaking havoc on the economy, the city says cuts have to be made to account for the shortfall. But Brady says the fire department has already faced more cuts than it should.

"There’s just no fat left in the fire department budget, we’re as lean as we can be, we are cut to the bone, there’s going to be, and I’m not trying to instill fear in everybody, but, it’s going to be very difficult for the Peoria fire department to provide the same level of service to everyone in the event these are gone," said Brady.

He says these potential cuts would have a serious impact on the lives of Peoria residents.

"And it is not just the fire department that suffers here — it is every tax payer, every citizen, every visitor because these are core basic essential service — people want to feel safe in their neighborhoods, they want to feel safe in their homes," he added.

Peoria City Manager Patrick Urich says while the current shortfall sits at $31 million, it is very possible that number could get larger if the health crisis continues.