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NAPLES — Sprucing up a downtown Naples underpass is not in the budget next year.

But Naples City Council on Wednesday told residents and business owners that a public-private partnership to make improvements to the Gordon River Bridge underpass could be a possibility in the future. The discussion over the project, which would have added benches, artwork and additional lighting to the walkway beneath the bridge, came during a special meeting about the fiscal 2009 budget.

Naples City Council voted 5-2 to approve the $106 million budget. Councilmen Gary Price and Bill Willkomm cast the dissenting votes.

The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, or CRA, had budgeted $85,000 to go toward the project. But council eliminated the funding during its August 18 budget workshop. Funding for an art gallery was among several cuts made to the CRA’s budget.

“It’s a wonderful unique project at the gateway to the CRA,” said CRA advisory board Chairman Lou Vlasho. “This is a really great way to kick things off.”

The project would allow children to create artwork to be on display at the underpass art gallery. On Wednesday, several community members stepped up to say they would be interested in helping share in the costs if it would mean moving forward with the project.

Councilman John Sorey said the city could request a budget amendment in the future, if it were to receive approval from the Florida Department of Transportation and the final cost, paired with private contributions, fell within the CRA’s budget.

The money in the CRA is not the same money used for salaries or other operating expenses. Operating expenses are funded through the general fund.

One major cut the $37 million general fund will see next year is the net elimination of 32 jobs. While eliminating 32 positions will affect 22 people currently employed by the city, Naples Human Resources Director Denise Perez said a number of those employees have either been reassigned or are in the process of applying or interviewing for open positions in the city.

Perez said of those 22 employees, four have not applied for any of the open positions.

A spokesman for the American Federation of State, Municipal and County Employees on Wednesday asked that the city figure out how to keep those people who have not applied, or are not qualified for the open positions, on staff.

The union has requested that instead of laying off people, City Council should dip into the reserves to make up the more than $3 million deficit the city is facing in 2009.

A net elimination of 32 positions will save the city about $2.3 million.

In addition to approving the fiscal 2009 budget, council voted 6-1 to approve the 2009 property tax rate. Councilman Bill Willkomm cast the dissenting vote.

Council set the 2009 property tax rate at 1.315 mills, or rollback rate of $1.13 per $1,000 of a property’s value.

The rollback rate means Naples taxpayers will not see a tax increase next year. Instead, they will pay the same property taxes as they did this year. Not increasing taxes means the city will need to take about $600,000 out of its reserves to balance the budget.

Property taxes make up the largest revenue source for the city’s $37 million general fund.

Naples City Council is scheduled to meet at 5:05 p.m. September 17 for its second, and final, budget meeting.