Norwich — On the eve of Thursday’s first public hearing on City Manager John Salomone’s proposed combined city, school and capital improvements budgets totaling $128.9 million, City Council Republicans are setting an overall spending reduction target of 5 percent.

The City Council will hold its first budget public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Council Chambers at City Hall.

Council Republicans, who have a 5-2 majority on the council, met recently in a closed-door party caucus to begin reviewing the budget in detail. A resolution placed on next Monday’s council meeting agenda asks Salomone to “assist the council in identifying and prioritizing reductions” to a targeted cut of 5 percent. The resolution is co-sponsored by Council President Pro Tempore Peter Nystrom, a mayoral candidate, and Alderman William Nash.

“We caucused over the budget, and we were looking at areas to address more saving,” Nystrom said Wednesday. “I feel there is too much spending left on the table.”

Nystrom said he feels the proposed $77 million school budget should be on the table along with the $46.9 million proposed city government budget and the $4.2 million capital improvements budget. Nash, however, said he is unsure whether to request school budget cuts at this point.

Nash said Salomone’s budget is too high, and city taxpayers could not afford the 3.7 percent tax increase that would be needed if Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s municipal aid plan fails in the legislature.

“I want the city manager to come back with another budget,” Nash said. “I’m just not happy with it. I don’t think he went deep enough.”

Salomone said Wednesday cutting 5 percent “would be a challenge." He said that would amount to a $6 million slash to the combined city and school budgets, minus mandated special education costs.

“I certainly understand the concerns the council has, and we'll do our best to give them an alternative budget in case the state revenue does not materialize,” Salomone said.

Without offering specifics, Salomone added that a 5 percent cut definitely would affect city services.

Salomone did propose options if the governor's proposals are rejected by the legislature. Under the governor's plan, Salomone proposed a $4.2 million capital improvement budget to address long-delayed projects. If state aid drops significantly, he would cut that in half to the charter-mandated minimal spending level, and would cut the school budget from a 3 percent to a 2 percent increase.

Under Malloy's proposals, the higher city spending would be accompanied by a citywide property tax cut of 4 percent. With more conventional state revenues, the citywide tax increase would be 3.7 percent, which council Republicans reject.

Salomone told the council nearly all of the 4 percent increase in the $46.9 million general government budget could be attributed to three factors: wages, $300,000, health insurance costs, $800,000, and pension contributions, $700,000.

Salomone proposed several staff changes, including hiring a part-time recreation director — the city has been without that position since 2013 — a new information technology position starting next January, a clerk in the assessor’s office to prepare for upcoming revaluation, a clerk shared by city clerk and finance offices and a shared clerk for Human Services and Recreation departments.

He would cut a code enforcement clerk in the Planning and Neighborhood Services Department and would outsource operations of the city transfer station, cutting one position and moving another to other Public Works duties.

The Human Services Department would move out of 80 Broadway, with adult services moving to City Hall and youth and family services to the recreation building at 75 Mohegan Road. The city plans to sell 80 Broadway, the original home of Otis Library.

Democratic Mayor Deberey Hinchey called the Republican resolution proposal premature, given the uncertainties of the state budget, and she is concerned about what a 5 percent cut would do to city services and city schools.

“I think we’re extremely lean, and in my discussion with the city manager, it would be $6 million,” Hinchey said. “That would decimate the city and schools. I hope they crunch the numbers and understand what this will do to the city.”

c.bessette@theday.com