The city hasn't had a millage

increase since the mid-1980s when it was raised from 4.5 mills to six

mills. Since then, it has declined; the 4.06 millage rate was held for

four straight years until last year's rollback.

The latest version of the 2002

budget cut the four employees requested by city staff: a full-time Emergency

Medical Services lieutenant, a full-time mechanic for the Public Works

Department, a part-time building technician and a part-time fieldhouse

leader at for the Kedron Fieldhouse.

"It's a tight budget,"

said finance director Paul Salvatore. "There's not a lot of fluff

in there."

After hearing from department

heads, council members agreed the EMS lieutenant and fieldhouse leader

positions were essential and decided to work them back into the budget.

Most of the budget cuts, however,

came from the city's public improvement program. One project was cut from

this year: a satellite auto maintenance facility. Also, part of the facility

buildout plan was cut, which includes the renovation of City Hall and

the Public Works building.

Both the satellite auto facility

and the renovations will eventually be funded through a long-term financing

plan called the Bricks and Mortar program.

Projects set for next year

that were cut totalled almost $117,000, including a library expansion

and $40,000 for playgrounds. Another $40,000 was left in the budget for

playgrounds.

Council's contingency fund

also was reduced $150,000 in the effort to pare down the tax increase.

Departmental operating budgets were reduced by more than $75,000.

Councilman Steve Rapson, who

was pushing for the budget cuts, said he couldn't support the increase

to 4.35 mills. He did support including the two new employees in the budget

and increasing the millage to 4.06, last year's millage rate.

Mayor Bob Lenox, Councilwoman

Carol Fritz and McMenamin said they could support increasing the millage

to 4.35. Councilman Dan Tennant was not present at the meeting.

Fritz said she felt avoiding

a tax increase would lower employee morale and affect services the city

provides. She added that if the millage rate was held down and voters

approve projects in the bond referendum this November, "It's a double

whammy" because taxes would have to go up more in the next few years

for the new projects.

Lenox agreed that holding the

tax rate down could mislead the public.

Lenox explained that holding

out for less density in residential housing projects has cost the city

about $4 million a year in the budget, but that's what the citizens wanted.

Rapson said he thought staff

worked hard in going