It is a sure sign that we’re in the final days of the Lawrence City Commission campaign. Endorsements from various organizations are starting to roll in for slates of candidates. On April 7, three candidates will be elected to the city commission.

Also in a sign that city employees are worried how tough the 2010 city budget may be, a group of city employees is making an endorsement in the race.

The Lawrence Professional Firefighters’ Political Action Committee has endorsed candidates Mike Amyx, James Bush and Aron Cromwell for the April 7 election.

Firefighters normally haven’t formally endorsed candidates in past races, but the group is clearly concerned that budget cuts in 2010 could impact public safety funding.

“The union’s endorsement is based solely on the strength of commitment that candidates Amyx, Bush and Cromwell made to preserving public safety as a core service during the current recession,” the PAC said in a press release. “While other candidates were generally supportive of these efforts, the above candidates were endorsed because they were the most firm in their commitment not to allow emergency services to decline during the current recession.”

The PAC said it would be making a financial contribution to each candidate, and would run advertisements in local media supporting its slate.

The Lawrence Board of Realtors also made endorsement recently, but chose a slightly different slate of candidates. Amyx, Bush and Lance Johnson received the nod from the city’s largest group of real estate representatives.

“In these difficult times, we need leaders like Mike Amyx, James Bush and Lance Johnson who are truly committed to moving forward with a commitment to grow our property tax base through new economic development opportunities and job creation,” said Randy Barnes, the board’s president.

I’ve heard informally that several other groups have made endorsements of candidates, but I’ve yet to see them. So, as they say, stay tuned.