Lawrence city commissioners at their Tuesday meeting said they wanted more time to consider a policy that would give the city more authority to transfer dollars paid by city rate payers into the city’s general fund.

Commissioners heard an objection to a policy that would allow — among other things — the city to require its own water and sewer utility to make a payment in lieu of taxes to the city’s general fund, even though state law says publicly owned utilities are not required to pay property taxes. In 2012, the payment would involve transferring about $1 million in rate payer dollars to the city’s general fund.

A representative with the Lawrence Home Builders Association said such a transfer would create questions about what rate payer dollars are actually funding.

“It feels like a bit of a shell game,” said Bobbie Flory, executive director of the home builders association.

Commissioners said they wanted more information on the policy, but did not set a date to discuss the item again.