The Champaign City Council gave staff direction for the 2007 fiscal year tax levy at their meeting Tuesday.

Under the direction, the council plans to decrease the original amount of the overall tax levy by $229,000.

The plan also stipulates that property tax rates cannot be increased by more than the rate of inflation in 2005, which was 3.1 percent.

Councilman Tom Bruno, At Large, who wanted to maintain the original levy, said he believed the additional money could be used to catch up on deferred maintenance issues for the city and help start to save for a new public works facility.

Councilwoman Deborah Feinen, At Large, however, said she believed that citizens would appreciate the money saved, an average of $8 per household.

“I think its important that we take in the amount of money we need to operate, but that we don’t take in more than we need because next year might be bad,” Feinen said.

“There are people living on fixed incomes that could really use that $8,” she added.

The official change in the property tax levy is scheduled to be set at the Nov. 7 city council meeting.