The city's police union launched a public information campaign Monday, aimed at notifying the public about 16 officers who may soon be laid off and the impact such cuts could have on the community.

The Colton Police Officers Association announced its "Say no to C.A.P.S. campaign," along with a website, a Facebook page and telephone hot line the public can use to access information or provide input. C.A.P.S. is an acronym for "Colton Axing Public Safety," the website says.

"Make no mistake, less officers on the streets will result in the compromise of security to the citizens of Colton and the officers themselves," Officer Greg Castillo, the association's president, said in a statement.

A budget approved by the City Council in June, which plans for the loss of $5 million in utility-users tax money, suggests laying off 16 police officers as one strategy to help close the gap.

That many layoffs, combined with 14 "frozen" officer positions that haven't been filled, would reduce police service levels to those of the 1980s, Castillo said.

"With the reality of the severity of crime in today's (city), its citizens simply cannot stand for this," Castillo said.

Officials contacted Monday said it's likely some public safety layoffs will be necessary to fill the hole, but they're not sure if it will be the number the budget suggests.

"I don't want to cut any kind of safety at all. It's a priority for me," said Councilman Alex Perez. "But I don't know where else we're going to cut."

Staffing in other departments was cut to minimal levels over the past two years to close budget deficits totaling about $11million. Those cuts didn't include police or firefighter layoffs.

The city must cut $5 million from next year's budget to account for the loss of the tax, which sunsets June 30. The city is also processing claims by three businesses who say they overpaid the tax in previous years, said City Manager Rod Foster.

If it's determined the city must reimburse those businesses, it would set the budget back about $1 million more, Foster said.

Councilman David Toro said the council will likely give managers direction regarding layoffs at its Dec. 7 meeting.

"We need to wait until (Dec. 7) to determine what direction the city's thinking about going in," Toro said.

In a news release and on its website, the association says "plush contracts" afforded to department directors is one reason the city is in financial peril.

"I don't believe that any of our contracts are plush at all," Foster said. "In fact, I've been able to negotiate some of the most fiscally conservative contracts for executive directors than any city manager or interim city manager in recent history."

Directors hired before Foster joined the city are entitled to one-year of severance pay if they're let go, Foster said. The contracts Foster negotiated with directors he's hired call for three months severance pay and the directors must have worked for six months before they're eligible to receive it, he said.

Since Foster started working with the city in December he's received a raise and hired four new directors, some of them making over $200,000 a year, the association says on its website. In the release, the association says several directors make more than $200,000 annually in pay and benefits.

Foster called the information "confusing" because his salary is $220,000, the same it was when he was hired. No department head makes a salary over $200,000 in salary, but some so exceed the amount with benefits included, he said.

In the release, the association says Management Services Director Bonnie Johnson said that even if officers agreed to reducing their salary and benefits, officers would still be let go.

Johnson claims she never said that she told the association layoffs would be needed to close the gap, but it would be up to the council to decide which employees are let go, she said.