The St. Paul Fire Department's Rescue Squad 2 is back on the chopping block, after disagreement between the firefighters union, and the fire chief and Mayor Chris Coleman, the Pioneer Press reports. The mayor sent a letter to the firefighters union on Tuesday saying the specialty rescue squad would be decommissioned for budget reasons. No firefighters will lose their jobs as a result of cutting Rescue Squad 2, the city said.

Mayor Chris Coleman proposed a St. Paul budget that reduces spending by $1 million. A 1.9 percent increase in the tax levy would help offset the loss of state funding. Coleman's budget would fill seven vacancies in the police department and would add a lawyer to the city attorney's office.

A St. Paul firefighter will receive a more than half million dollar settlement in a disability dispute. William Eldredge claims the fire department tried to fire him and transfer him to a lesser paying job because he had an eyesight disability.

When Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak delivers his budget address Wednesday many will be focused on what he has to say about the fire department. The fire chief and union leader have called for hiring additional firefighters to improve safety and response times. But at least one city council member says the department is doing fine as is and rhetoric to the contrary is only frightening residents.

St. Paul's fire department will cut one rescue squad next year -- leaving only two specialized groups to perform search-and-rescue and hazmat tasks. The Pioneer Press reports the department will also cut all overtime pay in order to close the gap.