The Madison City Council will debate Mayor Dave Cieslewicz’s yearly budget during a meeting tonight.

The City Council members look to amend 30 sections of the proposed operating budget, many portions of which affect University of Wisconsin students.

The proposed operating budget would cost $192.4 million for the 2005 year, while the Board of Estimates added another $192,000 to restore snow removal, add money for a Downtown Planning Council and increase basic services.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the proposal is a “status quo budget.” The city, according to Verveer, can only afford basic maintenance of city services because of decreased state and federal revenues.

“We don’t have a lot of money to play with, so this budget is just keeping the existing level of city services extended to citizens,” he said.

One of the proposed amendments would cut funding for the Madison Metro bus system and save the city approximately $152,000.

The proposed cut would cut certain Saturday and Sunday Metro weekend routes and change the services to increase the efficiency of the system.

Melanie Conklin, the mayor’s communication director, said Cieslewicz does not want to cut any of the Madison Metro bus line.

“There may be some efficiencies in reducing the routes, but the mayor doesn’t want to see weekend services cut,” Conklin said. “People who use it on the weekends are the most mass-transit dependent.”

Conklin added Cieslewicz does not want to cut the services at times of the day when people need it for the sole reason of less business traffic on the weekends.

Ald. Austin King, District 8, said cuts in the bus line would have an adverse effect on UW students.

“Metro is a service that students put to great use,” King said. “Without student support of [the] bus system, it wouldn’t exist and it would be very hard to get around the city.”

King said the symbiotic relationship between students and the bus system is important to the survival of mixed downtown transportation.

“I will personally defend it from cuts,” King added. “If we’re ever going to have [mixed] economies on the periphery [of the city], we need to have mixed transportation. Unless you want to make it a homogenous three-car garage area — and it practically is.”

The council will also debate the proposed creation of a Downtown Planning Council.

Verveer introduced the proposal to the Board of Estimates Nov. 1, when it was unanimously passed. The proposal would create Madison’s fourth planning council.

Planning councils facilitate discussion between City Hall and interested stakeholders in certain geographic areas, according to Verveer.

King called the council a “super neighborhood association” that is “very effective at helping residents provide input in how they like their neighborhood [to] grow and look and feel.”

Representatives from UW, Capitol Neighborhood Association, Downtown Madison, Inc. and the Greater State Street Business Association would participate in the new group.

“They put on meetings, they have paid staff, they have an office and they facilitate communication,” Verveer said.

The group would also publish a newsletter and organize meetings, which is similar to the things Verveer does with the Bassett Neighborhood Association. The new program would be partially funded by the city.

Verveer added the United Way usually has a hand in funding city, business and community planning associations.

Conklin said the mayor is interested in the proposal but wants to know more about it.

She added the mayor is concerned the planning council would do what other city and university groups can already do on its own.

“[The mayor] wants to know if there is a need or if someone has to bring these groups together,” Conklin said.

There are current city planning councils on the north and south sides as well as an East Isthmus association. Verveer said council members will debate over the funding for this group.