Kansas City, Mo. ? A newspaper’s investigation into abuse and lax oversight of city cell phones has led to changes at City Hall.

Cell phones are being disconnected by the dozens. Checks are being written to cover personal calls. And some high-ranking Kansas City government officials have found less costly ways, such as pagers, to stay in touch.

Last month, The Kansas City Star reported that the city spends about $750,000 a year for cell phones. Some phones were being used by city employees for personal use. Calls stretching for more than an hour were not uncommon. And, in one case, a city employee logged a 121-minute call.

The problem came to light as city leaders struggled to trim nearly $16 million in spending this year and $45 million from next year’s budget. For next year, officials are looking to cut cell phone costs in half.

Since The Star’s stories, phones are being eliminated as part of the trims in the city’s budget.

Meanwhile, high-ranking city officials, including City Manager Bob Collins, have turned in their cell phones.

“A pager will get me most often,” said Collins, who the newspaper found did not make excessive calls.

The amount of money saved by the city’s effort is still unknown, though the Public Works Department, alone, estimates it will save up to $19,000 annually.

Last month the city had about 1,100 cell phones. In the past 30 days, several department directors checked whether the phones were necessary for their employees’ assignments.

After completing their reviews of phone use, directors disconnected dozens of cell phones. More phones probably will be taken out of service as other departments complete their reviews.

Managers also transferred some phones to rate plans that will not result in employees commonly exceeding their allotted “free” minutes.

City Council members Terry Riley and Teresa Loar ranked as the most costly cell phone users in The Star’s inquiry. Riley, who has made a large reimbursement, has adjusted his rate plan to allow for more free minutes. Loar did the same.

Both say they will reimburse the city if charges exceed plan limits.

Fire Chief Smokey Dyer said he had refused offers to turn in phones because he believes the phones are a necessary tool for the Fire Department, which had few phones among The Star’s 25 costliest.

“No, you can’t turn that phone in,” Dyer said. “You take the tool, and you use it correctly.”