"I just

think this is pie in the sky." Councilman Harvey Melear said of Fairburn's

2003-04 proposed $14.5 million budget Monday night. "I don't think

we as a city are going to bring in $14 million."

At the other

end of the spectrum, Councilman Roy Farr, who voted on his 34th budget

that evening, said, "I'm proud of it and I'm proud of the city and

the staff."

It was City

Administrator Jim Williams' job to present the stack of figures to the

Council.

"We feel

the budget covers the basic things we need to work on," he said.

The largest

chunks of this year's budget come from local option sales tax at $1 million;

cable television and Internet funds at $2.13 million; and total user fees,

including water service taps and sewers, at $2.3 million.

Expenditures

such as animal control more than doubled from last year to $13,000 compared

to $6,330. Total police salaries and operations clocks in at just over

$2 million. Jail expenses of $200,000 top the operations list. The fire

department, in contrast, is quoted at $271,000. Public works, including

street maintenance and landscaping, will cost the city $1.1 million.

With the many

services the city provides, next year's budget was seen as conservative

except Melear's. The new budget goes into effect Oct. 1.