Excerpt: The city and its public safety unions have been at the bargaining table for about two years. The city is asking for its police and firefighters to take salary, benefit and staff cuts, while the unions say any further cuts would endanger public safety as well as the safety of the police and firefighters. Vallejo spends 74 percent of its $80 million general fund budget on public safety salaries, significantly higher than the state average.  MORE >>