The International Association of Fire Fighters Local 547 is not taking news of impending layoffs in stride.

Facing a budget crunch, the city of Kalispell announced plans Tuesday to lay off seven of its firefighters on May 15.

At an afternoon press conference at the fire department's north station, union secretary F. Ray Ruffatto called city manager Jane Howington's claims that the layoffs are necessary "ridiculous."

Ruffatto said there are "a lot of options" available for averting the layoffs.

"Unfortunately the financial obligations of the city under the terms of the new fire contract cannot be met without a reduction in force in the fire service," Howington wrote in a letter Tuesday relaying the layoff news to the union.

Howington has said the city must look to layoffs and privatizing the ambulance service to deal with increased costs the city faces under an arbitrator-mandated contract deal.

The layoffs follow a Feb. 22 arbitration ruling that favored firefighters and led to a new three-year contract that Howington says will cost the city an extra $690,000.

Individual firefighters receive about $6,000 annual pay increases under the new contract.