Years of running in the red finally caught up with East Point on Tuesday.

The council agreed —- over the anxious objections of an often emotional crowd —- to close two fire stations in order to move closer to a balanced budget.

Officials estimated 65 firefighters will be fired. Another 35 city employees in other departments also stand to lose their jobs as the city tries to address an $8 million budget shortfall.

The vote to close the fire stations was 7-1 with Marcel Reed opposed.

The difficult decision leaves the city of 41,000 residents with three fire stations.

East Point expects to save more than $3 million with Tuesday's cuts.

"We did not want to close fire stations," said Mayor Joe Macon. "But we had to. Some of you are not going to like it. . . . Unfortunately, some good people are going to get hurt."

Just the idea of closing fire stations sent anxiety through the city. Hundreds of residents crowded into a special meeting at Paul West Middle School. The approximately 40 uniformed firemen who attended the meeting did not want to speak afterward.

City Manager Crandall Jones said the city's general fund had $32 million in revenues and $40 million in expenses. Jones said other adjustments already had closed that gap by $4 million. The closing of the fire stations will eliminate another controversial proposal Jones had made: furloughs of all city employees one day per pay period —- a 20 percent pay cut across the board. He noted Tuesday that furloughs would have been only a temporary savings.

Cash-strapped East Point needs a permanent fix to run in the black going forward, he said.

Jones said the Fire Department was an easy target because its five stations had overlapping coverage, nearly 170 positions and just 88 structure fires last year.

"We don't have any other choice," Jones said.

Councilwoman Jacqueline Slaughter-Gibbons agreed the city's fire stations overlap and are costly to maintain. "What do we need [the fire station at Washington Road] for? That's money coming out of my pocket," she said. "I'm for closing two. I'm not for closing three. I'm not ashamed to admit that."

The crisis in East Point has caused considerable angst in the city.

A group of residents braved 90-plus-degree heat to protest at City Hall before the meeting.

Katie Blevins, a six-year city resident, joined the protest about 4 p.m. with her two young children, Michael, 5, and Sarah, 2, in tow. Blevins said she was frustrated with East Point's long history of financial problems.

City leaders say they've been running deficits for a decade. "I hope to get the attention of somebody so they will do the right thing," Blevins said. "If they furlough firefighters and police or close fire stations the city won't be a safe."