LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Last spring several members of Louisville's Metro Council said they would voluntarily give up a portion of their paycheck and participate in a city-wide employee furlough program designed to balance the city's budget.

But records obtained by The Courier-Journal (http://cjky.it/R7Ae6L ) show that several of those council members reneged on their promise to go on furloughs.

Nine Democrats and nine Republicans publicly announced their intention to take unpaid time off, and six others did not participate. Of those who said they would, six took no unpaid time off at all and five others took less than five days.

Most of the council members who reneged said they thought the money would be removed from their paychecks automatically or didn't know how to make it work.

"I don't remember being asked to do it once I said I would," said Democrat Dan Johnson, who didn't take any furlough days. "I didn't know how to do it, besides that."

Democrat David Tandy, who also did not take any furlough days, said he first thought the money would be removed from his paycheck, but then added that the mayor's office "didn't press the issue" and said the city's financial picture had changed.

"It was assumed that it wasn't needed," Tandy said.

Metro Council members make $43,323 a year and based on that salary, a one-week furlough would save the city about $800.

Other council members who committed to taking furlough, but who did not were Democrats Barbara Shanklin and Judy Green and Republicans Jon Ackerson and Ken Fleming.

Fleming last week asked the council's business office to remove five paid days from his paychecks over the next two months. Ackerson said in an interview that he would make it up to the city.

"I just dropped the ball," Ackerson said. "I will find out why it didn't happen and make sure it gets done because I think it's the right thing to do."

Some council members, such as Council President Jim King and Democrat Marianne Butler, took furlough days without promoting it and two others, Democrats Rick Blackwell and David Yates, took more unpaid days than they promised.

"I am very fortunate to be in a financial position to do that," Yates said. "I thought it was the best thing to do so we didn't have layoffs. I was trying to lead by example in hopes that other people would follow."

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Information from: The Courier-Journal, http://www.courier-journal.com

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.