ALBANY — Mayor Jerry Jennings unveiled a proposed $160.9 million city budget for 2009 today that would increase property taxes by 4.9 percent.

The tentative budget does not include funding for 10 positions in the police department and 20 positions in the fire department and cuts several other jobs throughout the city. Jennings said the proposed cuts will not compromise public safety, however.

"We have also eliminated raises for our non-union workers, reduced operating expenses in almost every department and achieved savings in health insurance and prescription drug coverage plans," Jenning said this morning at a news conference at City Hall.

Jennings said there have been no discussions about charging city residents for garbage removal.

The budget will be the subject of two public hearings and must be approved by the Common Council by Dec. 1. If approved, a city resident with a home assessed at $150,000 would pay an additional $96 in taxes.

Jennings said that he used $1.6 million of the city fund balance to balance the budget.

Jennings characterized it as one of the "most difficult budgets" of his tenure and said he continues to lobby the state for additional revenues, pressing the case that the city does not receive its fair share of state aid.