Jefferson Parish is tightening its budget for next year because of an expected dip in tax revenue.

Wednesday, the parish council approved a "no-growth," $554 million spending plan that saves money by cutting the number of new building projects in the pipeline.

"We've got a balanced budget," said Parish President Aaron Broussard. "That's good news. We're staying within our means. That's good news. We're budgeting conservatively."

The budget provides basically the same level of spending as the current year, with an annual five percent raise for most parish employees.

Parish leaders admit money is going to be tight next year as Katrina spending tales off and the national economy continues to struggle.

"Looking forward, like everybody else is, we're looking at how we can adjust our budget," said Council Chairman John Young. "People do that at home at the kitchen table. We got to look at how we can adjust our public budget and do more with less."

Look around Jefferson Parish and you see an ebb and flow of commerce, riding a wave of economic uncertainty.

Jeweler Joe Biderman's Metairie store is both coming and going.

He's closing one, opening another, remaining bullish on the local economy.

"You don't see the number of home foreclosures like you do in other areas of the country," said Joe Biderman of Hiller Jewelry. "There's still business on the river. There's still in the oil industry. With the tourist business still being okay, I'm very positive on the area."

But, with an expected decline in sales tax revenue, Jefferson Parish is only setting aside $62 million for capital building projects for things like drainage and public safety improvements.

That's less than half of what the parish is expected to spend this year.