Part of the plan approved by city council's finance committee Monday calls for police officers to turn their cars off for an hour each shift and to patrol on foot.
Five council members support a plan to cut police spending by $1.3 million, but without layoffs.
The Cincinnati Fire Department will lose $1.2 million by trimming overtime and not filling a district chief post.
Union leaders say these cuts will impact public safety.
"Obviously if we lose our junior fire setter program and we start losing fire companies and our ability to respond in a timely manner, it will affect public safety,” said Marc Monahan, president of the Cincinnati Firefighters Union.
City leaders say the budget is tight for this year and next year and there is no guarantee there won't be layoffs.
