Even as Los Angeles overspends by nearly $1million a day, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa insisted Tuesday he will continue to block any effort to reduce hiring for the Los Angeles Police Department.

The mayor said he will fight a proposal to stop the expansion of the department this year, which would jeopardize Villaraigosa's goal of having a 10,000-member police force.

"There are those who say there is no connection with our growing the police department and the drop in crime," Villaraigosa said. "I say they are wrong and I will do everything in my power to prevent them from cutting the police department. It would break the compact and commitment we made with the residents of this city when they agreed to impose the trash fees to hire more police."

Councilman Bernard Parks, who chairs the council's Budget and Finance Committee, is scheduled to have a major review of the city's $7billion budget on Monday.

"Public safety could be under consideration, because we have no choice," Parks said. "Right now, the city is spending $1million more a day than it is taking in. That is something that is a road to bankruptcy."

City Controller Wendy Greuel put out a report late last week showing the city salary expenses are $10million more for every two-week pay period than the city takes in. At the current rate, she said, the city will have a cash shortage of about $300million at the end of the fiscal year.

Complicating the problem has been the failure to reach agreement with city unions over potential concessions and the possibility of an early retirement program. Villaraigosa and the city unions had been counting on the proposal to reduce the size of the city's civilian workforce to balance this year's budget. However, it has run into opposition on the Los Angeles City Employees Retirement System board as well as among council members.

"I'm not sure we can afford it," Parks said.

If the plan is not approved, the city is faced with the prospect of paying cost-of-living increases to civilian workers while developing a plan to impose furloughs on them to make up the costs.

"We need to act quickly because each day we wait means there will be a higher amount we have to make up," Parks said.

There are a number of other employee issues on the table. No agreement has been reached this year on a contract with police and firefighters. The city imposed a rotating brownout of fire services, which was lifted during the recent wildfires.

Also, Councilman Dennis Zine said he has heard the LAPD is using sworn officers to work in the city jails.

"That's just a waste of money," Zine said. "If we have more officers working in the jails, that means they are not out responding to crimes."

The LAPD transferred the officers into the jails to cover for the civilian workers needed.

The city union representing detention officers has complained about the plan, but have said it is are unable to block it.

Zine said he will ask for a report on the plan and the impact on police response times.

"If we have them working the jails, that will increase the response time for the public," Zine said.