Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz will unveil the annual Capital Budget Tuesday, but it appears Madison residents will not see any major changes in revenue or expenditures this year.

According to Board of Estimates member Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, this year's budget will be a "maintenance budget." The goal, he added, is to provide the same amount of city services without levied taxes.

"A lot will remain the same as last year, and it's unlikely we will see any major new spending," Cieslewicz spokesperson George Twigg said. "We will largely be trying to manage the budget we already have."

Twigg also said the biggest challenge with the budget this year will be dealing with rising costs of resources such as fuel without raising taxes. Money that would otherwise go toward enhancing people's lives must be used for fuel costs, he said.

But according to Verveer, the tight fiscal constraints in the annual budget also come from a lack of state funding. The state writes Shared Revenue Formulas, which don't provide Madison with as much financial support as other communities, he said.

State law also requires Madison to acquire large amounts of revenue from property taxes, Verveer added, which is a difficult portion of the budget that affects many Madison residents.

"Much of our pressure comes from state laws and policies which are not very helpful to the city's fiscal health," he said. "Specifically, the state government provides very little funding to the city compared to what most of us think they should provide."

Tuesday's preliminary Capital Budget will include money for renovating several city streets, Twigg noted, including State Street. He said the budget would also delegate funds for increased parking in the downtown area.

Though residents will see a preview of the Capital Budget Tuesday, the Mayor's Operating Budget will not be introduced until early October.

According to Verveer, the Operating Budget will have more impact on residents and students. Most notably, he said, the mayor will look at the possibility of expanding the police force.

"This summer we've become aware more than ever of the issue of safety downtown, and the police department has been talking a lot about the financial constraints that they operate under," Verveer said. "One of the major areas of the budget that will be closely debated this fall is the police budget and how many new cops will be hired."

Verveer also said in light of recent campus muggings and assaults, the police chief has requested to hire 10 additional officers to the current staff of about 400.

Yet despite budget constraints, Verveer and Twigg both said they remain optimistic about its success.

Twigg said the mayor is continually working to provide high-quality services to residents that work with the budget, like the automated recycling program and the Roadpatcher system.

"We face the same kinds of challenges we've been facing a lot in recent years," Twigg added. "But we will be looking for ways to make the city government more efficient by continuing to provide services without raising taxes."

Once the budgets are introduced, each will go through the Board of Estimates and be approved by the City Council in mid-November. The final budget will go into effect Jan. 1, 2007.