CANTON — St. Lawrence County legislators are staring at an 8 percent levy increase as they head into budget season.

Lawmakers got their first glimpse of the administration's tentative 2009 spending plan at Monday's meeting. The tax increase was expected because county officials have for months been warning that expenses are climbing while income sags.

The $225.2 million proposal spends $16.6 million more than this year, or 8 percent, and collects almost $3 million more in property taxes. The tax levy would be $40.5 million, an 8 percent increase from this year.

Coupled with a 5.94 percent increase in the county's total land value, the tax rate is $8.29 per $1,000 true value. That's a 1.93 percent increase. Taxes on a home with $100,000 true value will increase $15.72 under the plan.

"The county's budget team believes that current national and statewide fiscal problems, coupled with local realities of low growth in a taxable base and rising levels of property taxes in general, severely limit future options for the board as regards its ability to balance appropriations and revenues in the future," said Karen M. St. Hilaire, county administrator.

The plan uses $7.8 million in reserves, known as the fund balance, to keep down the tax burden. Fund balance has long been used as a place setter in budgets, and the county rarely spends as much as it sets aside. The county projects to spend $6.1 million of the $7 million in reserves put aside in this year's budget, however, dropping the account to about $16 million by Dec. 31.

If the entire $7.8 million is spent next year, the county reserve would be $8.4 million.

"This is where we begin to get worried," Ms. St. Hilaire said.

Potential state budget cuts played a large role in the spending plan. The budget was crafted with the assumption that the state will cut aid by 6 percent next year. As an example, that would cut $100,000 from the Probation Department.

Lawmakers will begin reviewing and debating the budget Oct. 15.