SAN BERRNARDINO >> It might have saved $12 million a year and it might have left residents less safe, but potential proposals by outside agencies to run the city’s fire services won’t be seen — for now.

The City Council voted 4-3 this week to shoot down a proposal by Councilman Fred Shorett to ask other agencies including Cal Fire and the San Bernardino County Fire Department to submit proposals for how they might be able to protect the city for less than the city’s Fire Department does.

Shorett stressed on Monday that he only wanted to see what money might be saved and said he wouldn’t vote to approve any contract with a lower level of service than residents now get.

“I as a representative of the people of San Bernardino owe it to the taxpayers to deliver smarter, cheaper services,” Shorett said.

The three who supported asking for proposals now were Shorett, Councilwoman Virginia Marquez and Councilman Rikke Van Johson. Mayor Pat Morris also spoke in support, and City Attorney James F. Penman said that in his opinion and that of the city’s bankruptcy attorney it wasn’t the right time for such discussions.

“It would be premature to start this process outside of the mediation process,” Penman said. He added that he agreed the city needed to look at all options and he would be willing to examine — “and I stress ‘examine’” — outsourcing proposals later.

Residents and candidates spoke on both sides of the issue, too.

Mayoral candidate Matt Korner said the city should consider combining the police and fire departments and should also consider any options from outside agencies.

“With public safety representing 80 percent of the budget, I think Fred Shorett, his proposal is perfectly reasonable, and I don’t know why anyone would oppose finding out how much it would be,” Korner said.

According to a presentation the city’s financial consultant, Michael Busch of Urban Futures, gave Sept. 23, police account for 50 percent of the city’s labor costs and fire 31 percent. Those numbers include responsibilities added to those departments as part of financial restructuring in the last year.

Paul Sanborn, who’s running to replace Wendy McCammack if she’s recalled from the 7th Ward although he urges people to vote against the recall, said the city risked lowering its standards dangerously.

“For the firemen and the police, if you start doing that and you kick them out, I’ll tell you what you’re going to get: rejects,” he said.

All of the officials who opposed looking at outsourcing have at one time received political contributions from the police and fire unions. Some, however, have been targets of those unions more recently, with fliers and billboards blaming those who asked the Sheriff’s Department for a proposal to police the city as making it the nation’s worst-run city.

Penman started those negotiations and McCammack supported them, with both saying it was necessary because of the status of the city’s bankruptcy case at the time.

That proposal indicated that the Sheriff’s Department would be more expensive than city police. A large additional expense would be the cost of switching from the state pension system to a county retirement program, a change-over that would be necessary if the city contracted with county fire but not if it contracted with Cal Fire.