BEAR VALLEY SPRINGS, Calif. -- The Bear Valley Community Services District now says it's exploring all options to make up for budget shortfall.

Two weeks ago, it appeared the Bear Valley Springs Police Department was on the chopping block.

On Tuesday, 23 ABC learned the cut may not be imminent, but it's still a concern for those living in the area. On Tuesday, Bear Valley Community Services District held a meeting that was supposed to simply break down the public safety funding. Instead, it turned into a heated back and forth over the possibility of losing the police department.

"You five people are going to affect my life, my family and all these people, without any input from us?," yelled Richard from audience. Richard asked 23 ABC not to use his last name. "That's insanity. I can't believe you're going to do that."

John Yeakley, the general manager for the Bear Valley Community Services District, said that was not why the board held the meeting.

"(The police department) was not the intended purpose of today's meeting," said John Yeakley. "This was scheduled well before we got the proposal from the sheriff's department."

The sheriff's department could replace Bear Valley Police.

On Feb.9, the board's president pointed to rising expenditures and dropping property values as the reasons why they were looking to contract out with the Sheriff's department. Two weeks later, the idea is still not sitting well with residents.

"Everyone I know lives here, and moved her, because of the police department," said Richard. "(We) want the personalized service that the Sheriff's office won't provide, even if they say so in a contract."

Krista Levy also defended keeping the police department.

"This is not a fight that Bear Valley residents are going to want to lose," said Levy. "We're not going to give up our police department no matter what it takes. I think the board members are starting to realize that."

On Tuesday, some board members seemed to backtrack a bit from where they stood two weeks ago. Some even saying that they had a lot of options they had yet to consider.

"I think they said a number of times, they're looking at all the options available," said Yeakley.

The idea of looking to cut something other than the police department is a good sign for some resident.s

"I think there was a significant change in the attitudes in what we saw from the board members today (compared to) what we saw in the last meeting," said Levy.

Other residents think the change in attitude is nothing more than an attempt to calm people down.

"All that seemed like a smoke screen for something else going on," said Richard. "I don't trust them. I don't believe what they say. They're not being upfront with us and they should be. There's five people on that counsel that are directing our lives."

The Bear Valley Police Chief and the board's finance director said the police department is a financially sound department.

The issue will be taken up again at the community services district's March 8 meeting.