LEWISTON – Taxpayers should be able to watch the first meeting of the city’s property tax cap panel on Great Falls TV Tuesday night.

City Administrator Jim Bennett said his staff is trying to make the city’s cameras and microphones work for the group.

The first meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday in the City Council chambers. The panel is made up of the seven City Councilors, Mayor Lionel Guay and one citizen appointee each.

“We just have to figure out how to give 16 people access to microphones and cameras,” Bennett said. “There is going to be restrictions on where people can sit and be heard and we don’t want to spend a lot of money getting all set up.”

Councilors agreed to create the panel at their last regular meeting. Bennett said he expects the group will spend much of the first meeting, working out the rules for the group and looking over his documentation on the tax cap.

Voters are scheduled to vote on capping property taxes across the state at 1 percent of assessed valuation, or 10 mills. Bennett has told councilors that the cap will mean a $20 million cut in city revenues.

Bennett hopes the group will come up with a budget that includes the 1 percent cap and no user fees, a plan with the user fees and list of legal changes the city could ask legislators to approve.

“For example, if we wanted to mandate that non-profit groups that don’t pay property taxes now would pay for services, like public safety, that would require a change by the Legislature,” Bennett said. “There are other things we might consider, assuming the tax cap passes.”

The group is expected to finish their review and issue a report by Oct. 19.