The proposal delivered to County Council members Wednesday includes small cuts to many departments, with schools, government offices, public safety, transportation, health and social programs all taking a hit.

The total fiscal 2010 budget is $4.4 billion.

Leggett's proposed cuts also are a way to address a $20 million loss of state aid announced earlier this year. Officials believe additional state funding cuts could be announced soon.

Leggett has cut about $1.2 billion from the county's past three budgets.

In a memo, Leggett urged the council to adopt his proposed fiscal 2010 budget cuts quickly or offer reductions of their own.

Leggett does not support raising property taxes to bring in additional revenue, he said in the memo. Leggett's plan also preserves county employee jobs and does not include furloughs or salary reductions.

Even so, Leggett has not ruled out furloughs as a way to save money in fiscal 2011, said county spokesman Patrick Lacefield.

"These are hard choices, but this is just a preview," Lacefield said of Wednesday's announced cuts. "We'll look at ways to protect as much as possible education, public safety and the most vulnerable."

Leggett asked each department to suggest ways to trim their fiscal 2010 budgets, Lacefield said. Those proposals first went to the county's budget department before being presented to Leggett, who made the final cuts.

Among the cuts are Montgomery County Public Schools ($9.7 million), the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission ($2 million), the Housing Opportunities Commission ($30,000) and Montgomery College ($1 million).

The proposal also calls for a $1.2 million reduction in police spending. A portion of that reduction ($476,000) would be saved by cutting January's recruit class from 47 to 36 police officer candidates.

Leggett also is proposing a nearly $1 million reduction in spending on Health and Human Services, with the bulk of that savings — $730,000 — coming from delays in hiring for vacant positions.

"Nobody likes to do these things," Lacefield said. "These are things that are necessary. We have to balance the resources available with what we can afford to do."

Council President Philip M. Andrews (D-Dist. 3) of Gaithersburg said he expects the council will vote on the proposed cuts by Nov. 17.

"I think (the plan) is well thought out, and I would expect the County Council will support a great bulk of the recommendations, if not every single one," Andrews said.