GULFPORT, Miss. -- Gulfport officials may cancel Mardi Gras -- at least for city employees.

The city council was told Tuesday that a survey shows many workers would rather take Good Friday as a government holiday to replace Mardi Gras, mainly because most of the city's more than 200 police officers work double time that Tuesday.

Council members say they won't act to remove a holiday without more study of how the majority of city employees feel about the change.

Assistant Police Chief Alfred Sexton told the council that most of the department's employees work on Mardi Gras, managing traffic and parade crowds across the city and "either way, the city is paying for it."