RALEIGH, N.C. — As the Raleigh City Council works on a new budget, Mayor Charles Meeker said Monday that he will support a property tax increase at about 4 percent, half of what the city manager is recommending.

"The property tax rate, I hope, would be trimmed back a good deal. Instead of seeing a three-cent increase, we might see an 1- or 1-1/2-cent, something like that," he said.

However, compromise on the proposal among council members will not come easy.

"In terms of tax increases, at some point you can say politics be damned if that is the best thing for the city," council member Janet Cowell said. "I think investment in the city is best for the city and I am open to potentially having to do that."

"I think the solution to this problem -- to be able to continue the essential services at a high level and to not have a tax increase -- is to stop the non-essential services," council member Michael Regan said.

The mayor plans to bring the compromise to the full City Council next Monday. Officials hope to have a budget in place by July 1.