MANITOWOC — Formal discussions began this week as city officials continue to review and scrutinize Mayor Justin Nickels' 2010 budget proposal.

The city's Finance Committee has met twice to discuss the budget since Nickels introduced it during an Oct. 19 City Council meeting, and so far, only one item has been nixed: a $14,500 line to buy new laptops for City Council members.

The laptops were part of a larger plan to reduce paper costs by providing council members with digital documents instead of the hundreds of pages of paper they receive now.

"We have not gotten close to a paper reduction act in this environment," District 2 Alderman Scott McMeans said. "However I would say that if that initiative starts, that initiative should generate the savings to pay. So it's a whole package deal. It's not buy it and see if we can get there."

Aquatic Center fee

The Finance Committee also unanimously voted Tuesday to support whatever fee structure the city's Recreation Board chooses to implement for the Aquatic Center, scheduled to open on Memorial Day 2010. In the past, the board informally has supported charging a flat fee for the center, rather than the separate charges for residents and out-of-towners that Nickels has proposed.

By city ordinance, the Recreation Board has the final decision in setting fees for the city's recreation facilities, District 4 Alderman Jim Brey said.

Opponents of charging higher fees to nonresidents have said it would put off private donators who live outside of Manitowoc but have given large amounts of money to the development of the center.

Brey said other municipally owned water parks that charge nonresident fees were fully funded by city taxes, but the Aquatic Center cannot be generalized among those.

"This was a unique situation where more than half of the money for the Aquatic Center was raised by outside interests, private interests," Brey said.

Reduce debt

City officials still plan to reduce debt next year, although if the City Council approves funding a northside Dermatology Associates of Wisconsin development through a tax-increment finance district, the debt could be reduced by less than originally projected.

The city right now is scheduled to issue $4.9 million in new bonds next year and pay off $6.8 million of its debt. Bonding would increase by $1 million if the council approves a TIF project.

Nickels has said that the city would pay off $1.9 million of its roughly $75 million in outstanding debt next year, but that number could be reduced to less than $1 million.

The Finance Committee also discussed adding a few items to the budget, including a $39,400 heavy-duty pickup truck for the fire department. For those items to be added, however, money would need to be shifted around.

During a public "listening session" on Wednesday, Nickels said it is also very likely the Finance Committee will adhere to his proposal and a city goal of a 0-percent property tax increase. Manitowoc residents' property tax bills will still go up, however, as other entities, including the county and the school districts, have raised property tax rates.

The council is scheduled to take a final vote on the budget at its next meeting scheduled for Nov. 16.

Patrick Wade: (920) 686-2137 or pwade@htrnews.com