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Columbia city leaders met Saturday to kick off their detailed conversations about next year’s city budget.

The proposed budget has more than 500 pages of numbers and statistics.

The $409 million proposed budget deals with a tremendous amount of money and ideas.  Saturday’s meeting was the first time that Columbia city leaders talked about the details of their 2013 budget proposal.  City leaders are focusing on the priorities of their community while facing lean financial times.

City Manager Mike Matthes said, “We’re still in budget cut mode.  Government is always late to the party when it comes to recessions.  We get hit after the private sector.  It takes us a long time to climb out after the private sector has started to.”

One of the more controversial proposals calls for a pilot project that replaces city trash bags with roll bins.  An automated trash truck would pick up the roll carts.

Public Works Director John Glascock said, “We’ll have about 600 units to start with, all over the city to see if people like them.  We’ll get responses back to see how people use them.”

The proposed budget calls for higher utility rates, cutbacks in health services and no new taxes.

Columbia city leaders will hold public hearings on their budget during their next 3 council meetings, including their meeting on Monday night.  Council members are expected to make a final vote on their budget on September 17.