City revenues are down and expenses are up, making it a challenge to keep a balanced budget.

The City Council must do what voters of Thousand Oaks elected them to do—take charge and use their intelligence, experience and judgment to make tough decisions instead of waiting for city staff to do all the work.

During a January City Council meeting, the staff was instructed to take a hard look at city salaries when preparing the budget. Salary freezes or worse may be necessary—isn't it too much to expect a city staffer to recommend his or her own layoff?

Law enforcement cuts have also been discussed. But hard numbers are difficult to project until contract negotiations are completed with Ventura County. There may be easier ways to cut the budget without compromising public safety.

Every year, revenue from T.O. goes to the county, which, in turn, provides the city with a top-notch fire department. But what about the $6-million surplus of T.O. taxpayer money that the county doesn't use for city fire protection?

That huge, involuntary donation suggests the city is subsidizing fire services for other areas. Meanwhile, staff is digging to find ways to fill a $3.2-million budget gap.

The city could enhance revenue by installing parking meters on T.O. Boulevard, selling solid waste from the treatment plant for fertilizer or even selling the copper curtain at the Civic Arts Plaza.

Raising sales taxes and other fees is another possibility, but residents won't accept higher taxes without complaining, especially now, during a recession. Even with the poor economy, the city manager's salary increased 7 percent to $228,000 and the city attorney's went up 8 percent to $203,000.

The time is ripe for the council members to do what's expected of them—lead.