Acting City Manager Troy Schulte is expected to release his budget recommendations today. What might we expect?

I asked Deb Hermann that today and she warned that we'll probably be seeing more cuts to the city's capital improvement budget and 100 layoffs, as well as a wage freeze for city employees.

The cuts to capital are because the city will have to use the money to pay off general obligation bonds. Some of that money will likely have to come from the city's Public Infrastructure Advisory Committee fund, better known as PIAC.

That's bad news for folks all over the city who want to see their curbs and sidewalks fixed, and other basic things like that.

They lay off scenario is tough, too. Every indication I have is that city staff is too thin already. It's bound to impact basic services.

On the positive side, Hermann says, the budget process doesn't look as though it's going to be as political as it has been in recent years, unlike what Tony has at the top of his page today.

"Before, we had the City Manager fighting us on the budget," she told me. "Now we don't have that."

Likewise, when I asked her about Tony's scenario with the Mayor politicizing the budget, she replied, "I don't think so."