Burien City Council members got their first look on Aug. 20 at a preliminary $19.4 million budget for 2008-up $500,000 from this year's spending document.

City Finance Director Scott Harden, who presented the preliminary budget, told lawmakers the proposal mirrors this year's budget, but with the addition of estimates that reflect inflation, salary increases and a new contract for police services with the King County Sheriff's Office.

Public safety accounts for almost half of the general fund budget.

"We did our best to take out expenditures where we could," Harden said.

Harden and City Manager Mike Martin now will continue to work on the budget for the next few weeks, checking in with the council periodically for direction.

Council members are schedules to receive a formal preliminary draft of the proposed budget on October 1.

Harden hopes the council will adopt the final 2008 budget sometime in November.