HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council approved setting a public hearing for the 2018 budget during Tuesday’s agenda session. The council continued to look for ways to cut the budget to avoid any type of mill levy increase.

During the regular agenda session, City Manager John Deardoff presented another list of cuts that totaled more than $358,000. The council wanted the cuts to stem the tide of declining reserves.

The council also noted that any more cuts will likely result in loss of jobs to the city, which may become a reality. The new cuts bring the city reserve fund to just short of $4 million. The proposed budget still includes a .35 mill increase of about $107,000 — something the council wants to eliminate.

The public hearing on the budget will be held Aug. 15 with the budget certified by the county Aug. 25.

Also Monday, the council approved three union contracts with the first being the Service Employees International Union for both the 911 dispatchers and a second for all other service employees. The third contract is with the International Association of Firefighters.

Also Monday, the council approved a contract for work at the airport at a cost of $320,879 from Vance Brothers Inc. The company will be doing a crack repair and slurry seal on one of the runways. And the council approved a contract with Nowak Construction for replacement of a waterline along Main Street at a cost of $529,925.