Auburn residents who speak at today's city council public hearing will talk about a city budget that has remained unchanged.

The city's proposed budget for the 2008-2009 fiscal year has not received any formal revisions or amendments since its release at the beginning of May, said Auburn City Manager Mark Palesh. In addition, Palesh said Wednesday that he does not expect any major changes before the council vote scheduled for June 12.

Members of the public will have a chance to speak their minds and voice concerns about the proposal today during the weekly city council meeting. This is the only public hearing planned for the budget.

Members of council will also have a chance today to further discuss the budget in what will be the final work session concerning the proposal.

“The budget will pass, I think, mostly intact and with very few changes,” Palesh said. “I have gotten very few comments from the council.”

The proposed $47 million budget contains no increase in the city's property taxes, nor does it increase water or sewer rates. However, it does include a handful of changes from the current budget.

Palesh said the office of corporation counsel is one aspect of the budget where he can see possible changes before the vote. The proposal calls for a single, full-time attorney to head the office and a full-time paralegal to assist. The office is currently occupied part time by Auburn attorneys John Rossi and Andrew Fusco.

While he proposed the full-time attorney on the council's request, Palesh said the department can still be structured a number of ways. For instance, the office could be staffed with a secretary instead of a paralegal, Palesh said.

“I certainly want the council's input, because they use corporation counsel's office more than any other,” he said.

The city recently started advertising for the city attorney position.

The proposed budget would eliminate a vacant assistant fire chief position, leaving the Auburn Fire Department with three assistant chiefs. The city will also hire a new junior engineer if the budget is passed.

The proposal eliminates funding for the position of secretary to the Civil Service Commission, which received criticism last month from former commission Chairman Robert Welch. The position is currently filled by William Fulton and pays $6,143 a year.

Welch said at the time that the secretary accounts for only a fraction of the budget and runs much of the office's day-to-day activities, while Palesh said the move would save the city money. Welch resigned from the commission last month, citing a poor working relationship between the city manager and the commission.

The proposed budget includes hiring part-time police officers as security at city hall, which would cost the city $35,000 for the year. City councilors and officials discussed the topic during a May 15 council meeting, with some calling it a safety issue and others questioning the need.

Auburn Mayor Michael Quill said Wednesday that he does not foresee major changes to the proposal, either. The city department heads and Comptroller Lisa Green have worked hard to put together a budget that does not need much tweaking, Quill said.

However, today's public hearing is an important step in the budget process, Quill said.

“It is very possible that myself and members of the public are missing an important point, and hopefully members of the public can bring that forward to us,” Quill said.

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net

If you go

What: Public hearing on Auburn's proposed budget

When: 6 p.m. today

Where: Memorial City Hall, 24 South St.

View the proposed 2008-2009 budget online: www.ci.auburn.ny.us/Public_Documents/AuburnNY_Webdocs/2008.09