TOLEDO, OHIO – Toledo City Council’s decision to slash $400,000 from a fund that pays for fuel and service to the city’s 2,100 vehicles surprised some Finkbeiner administration officials, according to the Toledo Blade.

The council approved the 2008 general operating fund budget for the city and approved three additional cuts before adopting the budget. Those totaled $424,000, which the council will use to fund moving the city’s next police class to Oct. 1 instead of Dec. 1.

The measure to slash $400,000 from the $6.02 million fleet operations fund was suggested by Councilman Frank Szollosi and approved 7-5.

Council President Sobczak said if the mayor decides to veto the $400,000 cut, the council would have to come up with $266,000 in other cuts since the budget was approved with an additional $134,000 in the black.

Nine votes on council would be needed to overturn a veto by the mayor.

Franklin said up to 35 vehicles are taken home by employees who are on-call for “24-hour emergency operations.”