By Cindi Andrews
The Cincinnati Enquirer

LEBANON - The parks and recreation department takes the biggest hit in the city's proposed 2003 budget, to be introduced at City Council on Tuesday.

The police department also would lose one officer and its meter reader.

The city has to make tough choices, officials say, because its general fund balance is far less than recommended and residents overwhelmingly rejected an income-tax increase Nov. 5. The proposed $56.6 million budget - endorsed by the finance committee Thursday - would cut general-fund spending 11.3 percent from 2002.

"I think safety is more important than parks," Councilman Norm Dreyer said - a sentiment echoed by Councilman Ben Cole.

Two top recreation positions and several park maintenance positions - all currently vacant - will be eliminated if the budget is approved.

The number of sworn police officers would fall from 27 to 26, also through attrition. The average number of officers in Midwest cities is 1.8 per 1,000 residents, according to the police department, which would mean 32 officers for Lebanon. Police Chief Ken Burns said, however, that serious crime is low here.

"It never makes anything easier," Chief Burns said, "but we will make sure our level of coverage remains the same. ... We're very busy, but not with the real serious things."

Despite the cuts made throughout the proposed 2003 budget, the city still will need to boost its income soon, Mr. Dreyer said.

Options include trying again on a 0.5 percent income-tax increase, seeking a lower income-tax increase or seeking a police levy to fund that department separately. Lebanon's fire department has its own levy, as do most other cities' police and fire departments.

Mr. Cole likes the idea of a police levy, saying it would free up more general-fund money for other city services while being more palatable to voters than an income-tax increase. It also could help pay for other anticipated needs, such as a new justice center to relieve overcrowding at the police department.

The city may also need to revisit the idea of reducing or eliminating its tax credit for city residents who pay taxes to other municipalities in which they work, Mr. Dreyer said. The city didn't change the tax credit this year because reducing it would have raised less than a tax increase and had higher administrative costs. But some residents who pay Lebanon taxes may have thought that was unfair, he said.

Mr. Dreyer said he would like the city to engage the community in a series of meetings - taking a page from Lebanon City Schools Superintendent Bill Sears' successful passage of a $50 million school bond - before deciding on its next request.

The proposed 2003 budget will be introduced at City Council's meeting 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, 50 S. Broadway.

E-mail candrews@enquirer.com