MABTON -- In effort to save money, Mabton council members cut medical benefits from the city's police officers' families.

"I don't think anybody can put a dollar amount on anybody's children," said officer Carl Ramirez, who didn't think it would happen.

But just a couple weeks ago he said he got a letter from the city explaining Ramirez and three officers would need to tell their families as of May 1st, they'd no longer have medical insurance.

Altogether four dependents are affected.

Last month Ramirez and the others decided to unionize, however, and get insurance for their dependents that way.

"We need to do something to protect ourselves, because they've already proved they don't care," Ramirez said.

City council members told Action News they do care. In fact, it was their last resort when they voted to cut the insurance last year.

The city's got about a $300,000 budget shortfall.

A council member told Action News they want all city employees under the same insurance plan and that would save $24,000. On their original insurance plan, Mabton officers didn't have co-pays, deductibles and no-out-of pocket expenses.

With just the cut of dependent's insurance in the police department, this would save the city $13,000 per year. And the cut was supposed to be in effect in January but when officers claimed they never got a warning the city extended their insurance until May 1st.

Ramirez and the other officers could their insurance finalized as soon as the next few weeks.

Still, Ramirez waits for coverage for his daughter and hopes nothing happens until then.

"My biggest concern just like the other officers is that at this point there's a gap in coverage on our dependents," Ramirez said. "You do what you need to do to protect your children and if it's selling everything you own to take care of them, well, that's what happens."