City officials are celebrating the news of the Legislature’s override of Gov. John Engler’s revenue-sharing veto Tuesday - but only temporarily.

About $3.7 million of the city’s general-fund budget was restored Tuesday when lawmakers passed the override. But the fate of about $921,000 that would go to the city’s fire budget as part of another vetoed measure has yet to be decided by the state Senate.

The Senate is expected to vote on reinstating the $7.4 million fire protection deal Sept. 17.

“Today we’re going to celebrate,” City Manager Ted Staton said. “We’re thrilled it was done virtually unanimously, which is heartening.

“We still have some work to do. The fire grants did not pass - the future of the campus station is up in the air.”

The city’s MSU fire station and 20 of its employees could still be axed if the city does not recoup its fire expenses. By closing the station, the city could save $880,000, but would still be faced with about a $41,000 shortfall, and the department’s response times could double.

“We’re just operating day-by-day,” Deputy Fire Chief Scott Wyman said. “We’d lose half our staff and vehicles in service.”

An important decision was made, but there still is concern about the lack of fire funding, said Don Carter, president of the local chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters.

Staton said he found the cutting off of fire-protection money puzzling.

“In a year where firefighters have been held up as heroes