HUNTINGTON -- Even though the city of Huntington anticipates $2.5 million less in revenues next budget year, cutting the Huntington Police Department by some $545,000 is not an option Huntington City Council members are willing to abide by.

In the first of what could be four special meetings to review the 2010-11 budget, council members voted to restore $545,118 to the proposed police department budget Saturday during a four-and-a-half hour meeting at City Hall. The city has to adopt a budget before the end of March.

City department heads were asked to make cuts to address a decline in revenues anticipated to be $2.546 million in the fiscal year that starts July 1.

In his budget proposal unveiled Feb. 13, Mayor Kim Wolfe proposed offsetting revenue losses with 20-day rolling furloughs for all city employees. Elected officials -- Wolfe and City Council's 11 representatives -- would be exempt.

He also proposed 11 layoffs of civilian employees in the police and fire departments.

Police Chief Skip Holbrook proposed cutting seven civilian employees and furloughing 105 police officers 20 days during the upcoming fiscal year to make the cuts he was asked to do.

"I'm not comfortable with what sits before you today," Holbrook told council members. "We are regressing with this proposal."

Council members weren't happy either. They voted unanimously to restore the cuts, but didn't address where those funds will come from.

The police department currently has 97 officers and expects another eight in May. Making the cuts would have pulled officers off the streets to jobs currently done by civilians and could cost the city some $1.75 million in grant funds that allowed Huntington to hire five police officers, Holbrook said.

"Staffing reductions aren't the way to go," council member Nate Randolph said.

Council member Steve Williams proposed restoring the money to the department's $11.44 million budget and council members voted to support that. "We have to make sure our streets are safe," he said.

Council member Sandra Clements agreed, saying she doesn't want to lose the momentum the city has made the past several years under Holbrook. "I'm delighted with the service we get from the police department," she said. "We need to support you."

"The (police) officers are visible," said council member Jim Ritter. "I feel good with where we are right now with the police department."

"We'll find the money elsewhere," to make up for the budget cuts, said council member Mark A. Bates.

City Finance Director Deron Runyon anticipated a drop in the city's business and occupation tax in the coming fiscal year. The city budgeted $17,395,121 in business and occupation taxes this year and projected only $15.7 million next year. The city is operating under a $41,512,040 general fund budget this year. The proposed budget for next year is $38,965,159.

Business and occupation taxes are the city's biggest revenue producer.

Council Chairman Jim Insco said the city should have a $1 million contingency fee to deal with budget shortfalls. The city has a $440,000 carryover to start this fiscal year, but current projections call for that carryover to be close to zero by the time the fiscal year ends June 30.

"I'm not comfortable at all with doing that," Insco said. "It's just unacceptable. The longer we wait, the more drastic the cuts are."

Randolph said the city could try to set aside $500,000 this year and another $500,000 next year.

Budget sessions

Huntington City Council Chairman Jim Insco scheduled four special call meetings to review Mayor Kim Wolfe's proposed budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year, and the first was Saturday. Here's the remaining schedule for the sessions, which take place in council chambers at City Hall:

MARCH 6: Review of fire department, purchasing, finance, planning and development, buildings and inspections and mayor.

MARCH 13: Review of building maintenance, engineering, floodwall, inspections and compliance, motor pool, streets, sanitation and trash.

MARCH 20: Review of IT, municipal court, parking board, civic arena, enterprise fund, insurance and other matters as necessary.

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In the first of what could be four special meetings to review the 2010-11 budget, Huntington City Council members voted to restore $545,118 to the proposed police department budget Saturday during a four-and-a-half hour meeting at City Hall.