SPRINGFIELD -- City Council President Orlando Ramos said Thursday that the mayor is costing taxpayers "millions of dollars" by keeping the current system of a single police commissioner rather than a citizen commission, as proposed by the council.

Ramos cited court settlements the cities has paid out in recent years related to police misconduct allegations under a system where the commissioner is responsible for officer discipline rather than the five-member Police Commission abolished in 2005.

The council voted 11-1 Monday to resurrect the commission, but it was immediately vetoed by Sarno.

"The truth is that the Mayor has cost the taxpayers millions of dollars by keeping the current system in place," Ramos said. "The taxpayers have paid out millions of dollars to aggrieved parties because of police misconduct."

Ramos cited an alleged 2015 beating of four men by off-duty Springfield police officers outside Nathan Bill's bar after argument. The Massachusetts attorney general's office has filed nine criminal charges against Springfield Officer Jose Diaz.

Ramos also cited federal charges against Officer Gregg A. Bigda, accused of using unreasonable force by allegedly beating two juveniles arrested for stealing an undercover police vehicle in 2016.

In April, U.S. Department of Justice officials met with city officials to inform them of the start of federal investigation into possible civil rights abuses by Springfield narcotics detectives.

In each case, officers denied guilt.

"In the case of Nathan Bills, we will be paying for the actions of police officers who were off-duty that assaulted and permanently injured people," Ramos said. "With the indictments of Officer Diaz, Detective Bigda and the pending Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation, combined with many other cases that have cost the city millions, it's indisputable at this point that something has to change! It is an insult to the taxpayers that some of these officers remain on the force."

Sarno has defended the current system, saying that a single police commissioner is the national trend, and that the previous system in Springfield was called "dysfunctional" by experts in police administration. He added that it was "not a time to rehash political squabbles."

Sarno said in his conversations with Chuck Wexler, who is executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Wexler stated that "there is a role for civilians with our Community Police Hearing Board (CPHB) and there is a role for our Police Commissioner - at the end of the day, both entities must be strong."

Sarno has defended the local Community Police Hearing Board that issues recommendations to Barbieri, while Ramos and other councilors say the board's powers are not sufficient.

Ramos said the Council will move forward with an override vote of the veto. A two-thirds majority, or nine out of 13 councilors, must vote in favor to override a mayoral veto.

"The community has lost complete faith in this current system," Ramos said.