City residents are being asked to dig deeper into their pocketbooks to save the city’s public transit system from cuts and to give city employees a raise.

City Manager David Corliss Friday afternoon announced that he’s recommending a 1.026-mill levy increase for 2008. Corliss also is recommending that fees for the city swimming pool be increased to a flat $4 per person rate for children 5 and older as well as adults. Currently, rates range from $1.75 for children between 5 and 12 – up to $3.75 for adults. Children 4 and younger are not charged now – nor would they be under the city manager’s proposal.

City commissioners now must decide whether they will support the tax and fee increases.

“I don’t make these recommendations lightly, and I’m sure the City Commission won’t treat them lightly,” Corliss said.

But Corliss said tax and fee increases are necessary in order to avoid significant service cuts. Corliss’ recommended budget would avoid many of the high-profile cuts. The recommended budget would allow:

¢ For the T, the city’s public transit system, to continue operating without any cuts to current hours, routes or service levels.

¢ For a 2 percent increase in pay for city employees. Corliss said surveys of other community’s pay plans show Lawrence needs to increase salaries or risk losing experienced city employees.

¢ For a $100,000 increase in the amount of money the city spends on street maintenance. The recommended budget provides for $5.4 million in street maintenance. That is still far short of the $6.45 million that the city’s public works’ leaders have said is needed to keep pace with the city’s aging streets.

The budget, if approved, also is expected to create some tight times for area social service agencies that rely on city funding. Corliss said most social service agencies will see no increase from their 2007 budgeted amounts, or a slight decrease in funding.

This marks the second year in a row that Corliss has recommended a property tax increase. City commissioners last year did not take his recommendation, and instead held the line on the property tax rate.

A mill is one dollar in property tax for every $1,000 in taxable value in property that a person owns. The owner of a $100,000 home – 11.5 percent of which is taxable – would pay an additional $11.50 per year in city property taxes as the result of a one-mill increase.

Corliss will take questions about the budget at 3:30 p.m. Monday in an online chat with Journal-World readers.