Peachtree City's

newly trimmed budget will be the subject of a public hearing at Thursday

night's City Council meeting.

Council is

not expected to officially adopt the $23.1 million budget at the meeting.

The budget has been cut from the original recommendation from city staff,

which called for a propety tax increase to 4.75 mills, a 24-percent hike.

The latest

version of the budget would require an increase to 4.35 mills from the

current 3.84 mills, a 13 percent increase. Most of the increase is due

to the acquisition of Drake Field and the need to build the city's cash

reserves, according to city officials.

The millage

increase would cost an extra $40 a year for homes with a fair market value

of $200,000.

In a memo to

council, City Manager Jim Basinger called the trimmed budget "one

of the leanest staff has proposed since I have been in this position."

He added that the city's department heads will be able to operate without

any reduction in service levels.

The latest

round of budget cuts postponed several projects, including the buildout

plan for City Hall and the public works building, construction of an auto

repair facility and the expansion of the city's library.

City Council

has also agreed to cut requests for a full-time auto mechanic and a part-time

maintenance staffer at the Kedron Fieldhouse. But the budget does include

a full-time EMS lieutenant and a part-time fieldhouse leader for the Kedron

facility.

Council's contingency

fund was reduced $150,000. An additional $75,000 was saved from departmental

operating budgets.

A projected

savings of $400,000 from the 2001 departmental budget is also reflected

as a funding source for the 2002 budget.

The 2002 operating

budget represents a 5.74 percent increase over last year, although it

includes $100,000 to go toward an early retirement program for public

safety employees.