By Gregory Korte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

If the city of Cincinnati cut every department's budget by 5 percent and let department heads find the cuts, the city would eliminate three fire companies and five recreation centers and lay off perhaps hundreds of employees.

And that's with a 5 percent cut. With a projected $35 million deficit in 2003, the city needs to cut more than 10 percent of its budget citywide.

The departmental cuts, identified in departmental budget requests to the city's Division of Budget and Evaluation, have not yet made it to the city manager's official budget, which won't be presented to the mayor until next month.

But the budget debate is in the here and now, as City Council votes today on a plan to roll back property tax rates. City officials said that vote could add another $3.2 million to the deficit.

Given that bleak picture, Mayor Charlie Luken said the city cannot continue to offer many of the services it has in the past. He just doesn't agree with the department heads about what those services should be.

"I have a long way to go before the manager and I are on the same page with this budget," he said.

Department heads say most of the fat was already cut in the 2002 budget, and further decreases would affect city services. Among the items they'd put on the chopping block:

Buildings & Inspections: The first cut would eliminate five inspectors from the heating, plumbing and residential code enforcement sections. At 10 percent, four more positions would be cut, and all zoning, litter, weed and junk car enforcement would end.

Fire: The Fire Department wants a full-time lieutenant to focus on terrorism, seven training supervisors, three dispatchers and two computer analysts. To do that and make a 5 percent cut, the department would have to close three unidentified fire companies.

Parks: A 5 percent cut would mean the elimination of two free shows at Krohn Conservatory and less frequent mowing, and cleaning of parks. A 10 percent cut would eliminate mowing and cleaning.

Public Services: The recycling program would be the first victim. Lower priority cuts include the road salt budget and the Over-the-Rhine cleaning program.

Recreation: A 5 percent cut would close the North Fairmount, Butterfield, Kennedy, Kruek and Dunham arts centers. A 10 percent cut would add the Carthage and Ebersole centers, all senior centers in public housing, and five swimming pools: Boldface, Caldwell, Inwood, Evanston and Mount Adams.

Transportation & Engineering: Programs to be reduced or eliminated include sidewalk inspections and neighborhood speed bumps.

Republicans on City Council call the proposed cuts an old-fashioned scare tactic, and the Democrats with the most power over the budget process dismiss the department priorities completely.

Mr. Luken said he was unaware of the department proposals.

"They haven't even shown to me what departments are suggesting, because in some cases, I think it's that irrelevant," he said.

Finance Committee Chairman John Cranley, worried about the direction the administration's budget has headed, wants City Council to vote today on a statement that reiterates priorities the council set in its June "policy budget," including no cuts to police and fire service, no tax increases and $76 million for neighborhood development.

E-mail gkorte@enquirer.com