AUBURN – Auburn leaders will take a $1.08 tax rate increase to the public next week.

City Councilors Tuesday agreed to $520,000 in budget cuts, including stopping spring clean-up collections and trash collections to apartments.

That would reduce the city’s budget to $58.9 million for the coming fiscal year, but that’s still a $1.26 million increase compared to the current fiscal year. The city would have to raise the property taxes by about $86.40 for an $80,000 home to meet that budget.

Councilors considered making deeper cuts but decided it was time to hear from their constituents. The city is scheduled to present the budget as it currently stands for first reading next Monday, and open the floor to the public for comment.

“The point is, we’ve already cut a half a million out of what was presented – and that was tight to begin with,” Councilor Joe DeFilipp said. “So let’s see what the public has to say and then we’ll have a better idea on what to do. Otherwise, it’s just us up here chopping and cutting.”

City Manager Pat Finnigan presented her list of suggested budget cuts last week, but put price tags on them Tuesday. According to Finnigan, ending spring clean-up collections would save the city $25,000 in the budget. Stopping curbside collection for apartment buildings of four units or more would save another $30,000. The city would save about $65,000 by leasing some equipment instead of buying it and could save $45,000 in debt payments by lowering its capital improvements budget by $2.5 million.

Finnigan’s plan also calls for $355,000 in cuts to the personnel budget. Councilors discussed that item in executive session last week, and Finnigan said it would be several months after councilors accept the budget before those cuts go into effect.

The cuts brought the property tax rate increase down to $1.08 for every $1,000 of value. Councilors said they’d prefer to get any budget increase to a dollar or less, but Finnigan said that would be difficult.

“Sitting here tonight, I can’t say how we would get to that level of cuts,” she said. “In all honesty, I think we’d have to look at cutting services. And those have people attached to them.”

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