HAVERHILL — The police patrolmen's union has rejected Mayor James Fiorentini's request to take an unpaid day off to help the city's budget problems.

The union also refused to accept a one-day delay in a pay raise it is scheduled to receive July 1, Fiorentini said today. The union has also refused to go to a pay system in which officers would get paid every two weeks, rather than weekly as they do now, the mayor said.

The patrolmen's union is the latest city employee group to refuse the unpaid day and other changes to help Haverhill bridge a $2.5 million budget gap. The teachers union and school principals have also refused the unpaid day. Fiorentini said he expects a decision from the firefighters union late today on whether it will accept unpaid time off.

A complete report will appear in Tuesday's edition of The Eagle-Tribune.