HAMMOND | Fourth District Councilwoman Kim Poland on Monday asked a letter be written to Regional Bus Authority President Dennis Rittenmeyer requesting he meet with the council on alternative arrangements in the event bus service is eliminated during the upcoming 2009 budget cutbacks.

In addition, apparently with an eye on alternative cuts, Poland, the newest member of the council and the only Republican, asked a letter be sent to all department heads asking them to provide detailed lists of take-home cars, lease payments, and make and year of the cars. It's not a new thought. In previous years, other council members have asked for similar lists but no action would later be taken.

A half-dozen citizens attended both the council's public caucus and regular meeting Monday, again arguing against the bus service being eliminated as recommended by council President Dan Repay.

Repay sought to assure residents there would be ample time for them to register their thoughts during public hearings after the council receives Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr.'s proposed budget. The state has extended the deadline to Dec. 1 for submission of final budgets.

McDermott in recent weeks has said his budget will contain cuts, but eliminating the bus service won't be one of them. He will fund the bus service at this year's level and intends to leave the final decision up to the council, he said at the time.

Repay said he does not expect his proposal to cut transit service to be the only thing on the table when the time comes. He welcomed alternative suggestions by council members and the public.

"It's not that I don't want the Health Department and buses, but I need to cut the budget," he said. He remains opposed to using casino dollars to plug the shortfall, which he estimates to be about $1.4 million this coming year.

"I can't sugarcoat it," Repay said.

Despite some heated exchange with Repay during the public caucus, Jim Premeske, of Team Hammond, a grassroots taxpayer advocacy group, said he had no quarrel with Repay's intention to cut the budget.

"The only disagreement we have between us is where we start," Premeske said.

Premeske urged Repay to discipline the McDermott administration, not beleaguered citizens.

"Tell the mayor to cut back," Premeske said.

Other citizens, among them Sharonrose Zane, a full-time security guard for the transit system, suggested hiking bus fares and eliminating unprofitable routes.

"People understand gas is going up," Zane said.