Allen said the $5 million or so the county would have saved by shifting the debt to property tax was an unnecessary move, and preferred to find savings with further reductions — including the cuts to wages of county employees.

Accompanying the vote on that issue on the 14th will be a last ditch attempt to push the property tax hike through with a veto-override vote. A two-thirds majority — six votes from the nine-member council — is required to overrule Corroon's veto. But, even Hatch recognized that was an unlikely scenario.

"I don't see it happening," Hatch said.

The new, near-term budget challenges were created, in part, by a $9.4 million loss in county investments this year due to declining interest rates. Though the budget for 2009 remains balanced, revenue losses deplete fund balances that carry over from one year to the next. When those balances near the statute-required minimums, ratings from bonding agencies that set the credit rating of the county can be affected.

E-MAIL: araymond@desnews.com