By LARRY HILLIARDLedger Staff Writer

Gaffney Administrator James Taylor has said the city must tighten its belt to avoid a potential tax increase.

Council members will have their chance to weigh in on the city’s spending plan at today’s budget workshop.

Taylor said he will provide council with a report on the proposed expenditures and revenues for the new fiscal year budget.

A tax hike this year would end a 14-year streak without a rate increase.

Although Taylor has said his goal is no tax increase, he told finance committee members earlier this month they might have to consider cost-saving measures such as reducing the number of employees who drive city-owned vehicles home, increasing employees’ health insurance deductibles, reviewing the cell phone contract with Nextel and eliminating the practice of waiving permit fees for other local governments.

Unlike the county, which saw a sharp dip in revenues, projected revenues of $8.39 million will hold steady with current budget year estimates. But Taylor said expenditures for health insurance, worker’s compensation and fuel have risen about $500,000 from a few years ago.

Currently, there’s a $2.4 million gap between projected revenues and $10.4 million in expenditures, which include department heads’ requests such as two patrol cruisers and three detective cars by police chief John O’Donald, a backhoe for the public works department and a storage building at the fire department station at Overbrook Drive.

Councilman Johnny Little, who serves as the treasurer, said raising taxes would be a last resort.

“We will cut what we have to cut,” he said. “I don’t see why we need to raise taxes.”

Gaffney Mayor Henry Jolly is on vacation and won’t be attending today’s workshop.