LYNNWOOD, Wash. -- In a vote Monday night, the Lynnwood City Council approved a resolution to reduce jail sentences for some misdemeanors in order to save money.

The Lynnwood Municipal Court judge will be asked to reduce jail terms and time spent on probation.

Lynnwood faces an $8.75 million shortfall in its 2009-10 budget, partly because of declining sales tax revenue. Mayor Don Gough said the changes could save more than $1 million in the next year and a half, eliminating the need from reducing the police force in the suburb north of Seattle.

Jail commander Wes Deppa said it costs up to $80 a day to house each inmate.

"Our jail housing fees have gone up astronomically over the years," Deppa said.

Lynnwood has so many inmates that some are sent to Everett or Okanagen to do their time. Deppa said police understand and even agree with the resolution to shorten sentences.

"We support it. We recognize the city of Lynnwood is facing unprecedented economic challenges,” Deppa said.

One prosecutor also said even he can live with shorter sentences, as long as it’s just for some crimes.

"We don’t intend to reduce at all any of our punishments we request for the major crimes," said Lynnwood City Prosecutor Jim Zachor.

He said time for DUIs and domestic violence would not be reduced.

"I want to make sure that the appropriate defendants are punished to the maximum," Zachor said.

The court handles almost entirely misdemeanor cases such as traffic offenses, theft and domestic violence. The maximum sentence the court can issue is one year in jail, and the average is nearly seven days.