OCEANSIDE -- Should Oceanside City Council aides go without raises this summer? Should their bosses cut travel or forego their morning coffee at City Hall?

These suggestions were at the heart of a debate Wednesday about possible cuts to the council's departmental budget.

Citywide, employees are looking for ways close an anticipated $3.7 million spending gap in the fiscal year that starts July 1. The city manager has told most departments to cut costs by 10 percent. Police and fire have been told to cut 5 percent.

But what about the City Council's own spending?

This fiscal year, the council budget is about $905,000. While that's just a sliver of Oceanside's $120.5 million general fund, Councilman Rocky Chavez told his colleagues Wednesday that cutting expenses would send the right message during tough economic times.

He said the council could save $68,000 -- 7.5 percent -- in fiscal year 2009-10 by:

- reducing travel, office supples and postage by half;

- cancelling aides' cell phones and freezing their salaries;

- cutting membership dues to service clubs and business organizations;

- reducing the number of newspaper subscriptions; and,

- getting rid of coffee and bottled water.

"If we as a council are going to ask our staff members to take cuts… then we as a council need to assume that leadership role and take cuts ourselves," Chavez said.

Councilman Jerry Kern embraced the idea, noting that his aide had already turned in his cell phone.

But Councilwoman Esther Sanchez balked, saying she has consistently been one of the most frugal council members.

"We're talking about communication," she said. "Constituent communication. This is a very, very critical time. I think I'm getting more calls, more e-mails. I'm more busy now because people are asking a lot of questions. And I don't want that cut."

The council will discuss all departments' spending plans in the coming weeks. Mayor Jim Wood said it would be more appropriate to put ideas on the table at that time.

"If cuts are necessary -- and I'm not sure that they are -- then we'll address those," Wood said.

No decisions were made Wednesday.

Oceanside expects to end this fiscal year with a small surplus. After that, however, revenues are expected to decline while expenditures creep upward -- primarily because of salary and benefit hikes. About 70 percent of the general fund is used for salaries and benefits.

Unless adjustments are made, expenditures are expected to climb 2.7 percent to $123.6 million, while revenues slide 0.5 percent to $119.9 million. The spending gap would continue to grow in later years.

Contact staff writer Craig TenBroeck at (760) 901-4062 or ctenbroeck@nctimes.com.