With a reported 69% of U.S. cities resorting to furloughs, layoffs and pay freezes, the city of Dallas is certainly not alone its budget limitations.

Tuesday, August 19th, Dallas City Councilman Jerry Allen moderated the first of two Lake Highlands town hall meetings intended to bring citizens up to speed on the proposed 2009-'10 city budget.

Approximately 75 people attended last night's meeting at the Lake Highlands Freshman Center.

"We're here to listen to what you have to say," said Councilman Allen in his opening remarks. "This has been a brutal budget planning season, and the effects will unfortunately be felt by all of us."

"Over the next 6 weeks, the city will be hosting 42 of these town hall meetings to get feedback about the proposed budget from the citizens of Dallas."

Ryan Evans, Assistant City Manager, led the presentation by detailing the proposed budget as it was presented to the Dallas City Council on August 10th.

In the simplest terms possible, city leaders are faced with trimming the Price of Government (POG) for the city by an estimated $190 million dollars for the upcoming year.

This amounts to $590,000 a day in reductions. Reductions that will be felt by almost every community, neighborhood and citizen of Dallas on some level.

"We had to consider tax increases, the possibility of closing libraries and even shutting down fire stations," said Ass't. City Manager Evans.

"However, through recommended department cuts of 20 - 30% and a reduction in overall city services, we were able to avoid such drastic measures."

So for Lake Highlands residents, exactly what reduction in services should we expect?

Our libraries will be hit especially hard with a reduction in hours and over two-thirds of their materials budget slated for elimination.

Local recreation centers will also see reduced hours of operation, along with furlough days that will affect municipal office hours of operation and city employee workdays.

City commitments to public safety enhancements seem to have escaped the most drastic cost-cutting measures. Plans to hire 191 new police officers in the coming year remain in place under the proposed budget, as does the bond sale scheduled for March 2010.

So if Lake Highlanders don't agree with the proposed budget, what exactly are their options?

In short, Councilman Allen recommends citizens show up, stand up and make their voices heard, as did members members of the Friends of the Dallas Library, who were on hand to advocate against the deep cuts proposed for the library's materials budget.

"A 72% cut in our materials budget will cut to the heart of the Dallas Libraries," said Joyce Cope, Municipal Library Board Member for District 10.

"I urge the council to please find a way to maintain the budget dollars needed by our libraries for acquisition of new materials."

To which Councilman Allen replied to both the crowd and city staffers, "I'm hearing materials budget."

"The next 18 months will be tough, make no mistake," said Allen. "But rest assured we are here to listen, and we plan to take all your comments and requests back to the City Council for consideration."

The next town hall meeting scheduled for District 10 will take place at Aiken Elementary on Tuesday, September 1st at 7:00 p.m. For details call 214-670-4068.