NEW ORLEANS -- "Today should be the day," according to City Council President Jackie Clarkson, that the council and Mayor Ray Nagin reach an agreement on the 2009 budget.

Both sides have different ideas on how to balance the budget, and on Friday the mayor gave the council a letter with a list of demands on what should be done to keep not all, but some of the enhanced sanitation services in the French Quarter this year. Nagin is asking the council to not touch the city's $38 million reserve fund, nor the remaining $10 million of a federal disaster loan.

He is also asking for a 3 percent department cut instead of 6 across the board, except for police, EMS, fire, sanitation and recreation, as well as a request to set aside $2 million for the purchase of more than 400 new cars for EMS and the NOPD.

While council members say they are willing to negotiate on some of the items, for many the trash services are not one of them.

“SDT needs to have full restoration of its supplemental services for 2009, without condition,” said Arnie Fielkow, the council’s vice-president. “I think it’s that important. It’s the revenue generator for the city. It is the one true success for the city of New Orleans post-Katrina. Our tourists, our locals are happy with it, and it’s a revenue generator.”

But Nagin says with the city’s current revenue stream, he doubts the city will be able to have enhanced sanitation services for the rest of the year.

“This budget challenge is bigger than the French Quarter," Nagin said. "It started out as a $24 million problem. The take home cars at the end of the day -- I’m making a wild prediction -- but we may save a couple hundred thousand dollars. It’s not going to solve this budget problem. It’s not going to be $4 million for enhanced services in the French Quarter. It’s just not that kind of solution. That’s why this is difficult.”

The last item up for debate is whether or not to implement a new fee for French Quarter residents and businesses who are not eligible for city supported garbage pickup. Nagin wants the council to do so, but Clarkson said that is not going to happen. But she is confident what will happen today is a finalized budget.

“We should have another balanced budget, putting money back for the priorities of these vehicles, which totally restores the criminal justice system and we hold tight the French Quarter, full cleaning,” Clarkson said. “Because it is until we build our federal city, which is a reality, until we expand our port, which is a reality, until we build our biomedical industry, which is a reality, we need tourism as the lead. And we need to get it all the help we can get."

The meeting is set for 10:30 a.m.