Approval of a budget for 2010 is expected at next week’s Langley City Council meeting.

The $4,382,989 budget, larger than this year’s $3.8 million, still reflects the steep drop in revenue in the last half of this year, a trend that is expected to continue, said Debbie Mahler, Langley finance director.

The new budget provides no salary increases for the city’s 17 employees, reduces work hours for several of them and eliminates three part-time contract positions.

The budget shows some increases and some decreases. The general fund, for example, has been reduced to reflect the drop in revenue, Mahler said.

By law, the city of 1,100 residents is required to have a balanced budget in place by the end of the year.

Other ordinances also are expected to be adopted as city officials wind up business in 2009.

One is a change to the way the city bills for water.

If the ordinance is approved, the city will bill the owners of a property directly.

It would be up to the owner to distribute bills to tenants.

Another ordinance expected to be approved would set up a separate fund to handle stormwater.

Stormwater control has come under the city’s street fund.

But the council this year approved increases in stormwater rates over the next few years, and said a separate fund is the best way to accomplish much-needed improvements in the system.