ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) &045; Mosquitoes roam without fear this summer in Wells, Minn.

That’s because city officials there decided the $10,000 they’d have to spend to spray was better spent on other things, like police and firefighters.

Wells lost $104,544 of the roughly $900,000 it was to get, before the Legislature cut city aid to help solve the state’s $4.5 billion budget crisis.

Overall, cities will receive $142 million less this year from the state &045; their part in the fiscal fix.

Wells’ 2,494 residents have raised such a fuss about cutting mosquito spraying that the city recently sent out surveys asking residents if they would pay $1 a month to resume the service.

And that’s just one of the many cost-cutting and revenue-raising decisions the city is being forced to make, said City Administrator Ronda Allis.

Others include raising the fees for summer camp and golf lessons for children, and deciding whether to hike fees for the local swimming pool or shut it down &045; which would leave Mankato as the nearest place with a public pool.

&uot;Can the city even afford to have a pool?&uot; Allis said.

Police and fire services are up for cuts, too.

For instance, the city may work with Blue Earth County to ensure minimal police services are available around the clock. And because fire trucks cost about $350,000, several communities are considering sharing one. But in rural areas some of those cities may be 15 to 20 miles apart, meaning response times likely would grow longer.

Allis was among hundreds of city officials gathered Thursday for the League of Minnesota Cities’ annual conference.