Maybe you've noticed that just about everything costs more at the supermarket.

Maybe you've noticed that your gas and electric bills have headed skyward. Your water bill will be higher too in a few months.

No doubt you've also gotten nice pay raises so you're not finding these developments too painful.

Oh, you haven't? Sorry to hear. Neither have I.

So, about this proposed city budget, the one with the 11 percent jump in the property tax rate: What on earth are City Manager Baker and his staff thinking?

Ninety new full-time employees, and hardly any of them police officers? A new yard-waste program for everyone for $3.2 million?

A gentle suggestion: This would be a good year to separate needs from wants.

Those 17 new positions in Water Management, most of whom would be involved in fixing and rebuilding things? The experience of the past year tells us that's probably a good idea.

Eighteen new positions in Parks and Recreation? Maybe they're all vital, but the burden is on the city to make the case for that.

In my rapidly changing business, we're constantly looking for new things to do and new ways to do them. But newspapers are a bit revenue-challenged these days (as you may have heard). If we want to fill a new job, we find another we can do without.

Readers and taxpayers, I'll bet you can suggest some creative trade-offs for the city. What does Durham really need to add? What are you willing to live without in exchange? Send your ideas along, and we'll print some.