The City Council on Tuesday will consider firefighters' request to commission a feasibility study on the possibility of disbanding the Downey Fire Department and contracting with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The feasibility study would be completed by the county fire department.

Marquez and Mayor Roger Brossmer have already expressed support for a feasibility study, while Councilman Mario Guerra is adamantly opposed.

Councilmen David Gafin and Fernando Vasquez have not publicly commented on the issue.

On Facebook today, Guerra criticized his council colleague, Luis Marquez, for placing the item on Tuesday's council agenda.

"Funny how he has been running for another office the last 3 years and now he wants us to look consider disbanding our Fire Dept ?," Guerra wrote. "When we were making tough cuts to have a balanced budget he was not even in the room. The discussions took place about cuts that had to be done. He was on the campaign trail at yet another fundraiser.

"He has also put on the agenda for Tuesday night the discussion to try to take away our citizens rights to vote against this by a two thirds majority," Guerra continued. "We won that right by ballot measure in 1998. Downey residents passed this Charter amendment by an 85 % to 15 % vote. He wants us to consider making it a lower threshold of simple majority."

The firefighters union contends that contracting with L.A. County may make sense because the L.A. County Fire Department already has 16 fire stations within a five-mile radius of Downey.

Budget cuts have also forced the city to take a fire engine out of service and cut down the number of fire personnel from 63 last year to 54 by the end of 2012.

"We just want the council to explore all options and make an educated decision by getting a free study done," Steve Davies, president of the Downey Firefighters Association, told the Patriot last week.