MARTINSVILLE, Ind. -- Emotions ran high at a board meeting in Morgan County's Madison Township Thursday night, days after the fire chief cut firefighter salaries to minimum wage, cut hours in half and slashed the number of firefighters working per shift from nine to five.

Madison Township Fire Chief Kenny VanSlyke made the decision Monday after the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance denied the township's request for a $500,000 emergency loan.

"I'm hurting. I'm absolutely hurting. I've got a wife and two stepchildren that I've got to support, and I've got to do my best to care for," said firefighter Jim Clifford.

At the board meeting, dozens of firefighters and concerned taxpayers expressed concern and shifted blame over reduced wages, the impact on response times and what some called mismanagement of the fire department budget.

Some attendees lashed out at the board and trustee for counting on money they didn't have.

"Most people don't spend the money before you get a loan," said one taxpayer.

"That man right there (Trustee Jim Bolin) has been in service for three years, almost four years now, and has mismanaged money and put the firemen out there out of work, and they're making $7.25 an hour, which is an absolute crime," said Jeff Scalf, an attorney.

"We were wrong, and now we're having to make drastic cuts, and nobody likes it and wants it," said Kelly Alcala, a board member.

Bolin told 6News' Kara Kenney that he did not feel responsible for any of the township's problems because the township was dependent on emergency loans before he took office.

"It's not because I wasted any money. Everything we've done is accounted for. We just didn't get what we asked for," said Bolin.

VanSlyke said he's trying to figure out how to reign in spending after the loan denial.

"We've cut our maintenance budget, our operation budget. If one of our trucks breaks down, it'll sit there until Jan. 1," said VanSlyke.

When the new budget cycle begins in January, the chief plans to reopen the fire station, but it will have five firefighters per shift instead of nine.

Firefighters and some taxpayers said they will gather signatures to demand additional staffing and higher wages.

Township officials are also meeting with union representatives to discuss other ways to cut costs.