City budget writers need only look at the calendar to know their work on the 2003-04 budget won't be an exercise in rubber-stamping

The city Budget Commission will meet today - a month earlier than normal - to start work on recommending a budget to the City Council that takes effect July 1. City officials have said the budget will include reductions to programs and services.

Budget commissioners will hear about the goals of the newly installed council, but their focus will be on the long-term financial plan Finance Director Nancy Brewer will present to them.

The plan will give them a sense of the city's financial condition over the next seven years.

Last year, commissioners slashed nearly $500,000 in services for the current-year budget to close a financial hole caused by mounting costs, particularly for insurance and retirement, and sluggish revenue growth.

Voters guaranteed further cuts in November by defeating an operating levy that city officials said would forestall additional budget reductions for at least a year.

"I'm anticipating we'll be looking at another $1.5 (million) to $2 million in cuts in addition to the previous $500,000 in cuts," City Manger Jon Nelson said. "And the discussion with the budget commission will be how they would have to configure or phase those reductions."

Budget commissioners previously prioritized a list of more than 100 nonessential services and programs so if a budget hole did materialize, they could cut services deemed least important first. Some of those items were cut at the beginning of this current budget cycle.

With further budget reductions the city would cut every remaining item from the list except for services the commission deemed were of highest priority, including continued operation of the Tunison Fire Station in south Corvallis.

If the cuts materialized, the city would:

• Reduce operating hours for the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library.

• Drop participation in the area's drug enforcement team.

• Stop broadcasting replays of city council meetings on cable television.

• Lose one police officer.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room of the downtown fire station, 400 N.W. Harrison Blvd. Time is set aside for public comment.