Mayor Greg Fischer's proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year will include steep cuts to public safety, but the cuts will not be as severe as what Fischer hinted at earlier this year. The proposed fiscal year 2020 budget unveiled by Fischer on Thursday calls for about $9.6 million in cuts to public safety and the elimination of 81 public safety positions. That's a decrease from the nearly $16 million in public safety cuts and 278 eliminated positions that Fischer suggested may be necessary in February. Fischer has previously said the cuts are necessary to help fill an upcoming $35 million budget gap caused by the state-mandated pension increase that continues to grow each year. To avoid cuts to services, Fischer had originally proposed tripling the current 5% premium insurance tax over four years to fill the looming budget gap. An alternative plan that paired a smaller tax hike with various cuts failed to get enough Metro Council votes in March. Among the proposed cuts unveiled Thursday are the elimination of an upcoming Louisville Metro Police Department recruit class as well as one fire station and one ambulance.