Tuesday's East Lansing City Council meeting resulted in a number of financial cuts and the passage of the 2005-06 fiscal year budget.

Among the areas affected by the cuts include the police department, the East Lansing Public Library and the city's finance department.

Funding for buying library books was cut by $50,000, but the burden was lessened when council members opted to add $33,200 to the library fund from other parts of the budget.

The police department will lose four positions, including two officers, a deputy police chief and a part-time jailer. However, the council made note at the meeting that the budget cuts will not result in any layoffs - the positions which have been vacant will not be filled.

The city's finance department will also be short one finance manager.

Although it's never good to see budget cuts, we must commend the City Council for striving to maintain quality of life by not pushing forth layoffs. The council also should be commended for cushioning the library budget cut by looking to other parts of the budget and finding funds for that purpose.

The loss of a deputy police chief, two officers and a jailer will certainly not better the city in any way, but it must be realized that those positions have been vacant for a period of time now and the city seems to be functioning without them. It's better that the council freezes hiring for positions that are currently vacant than commence firing current employees.

It's a rough time in Michigan's economy, and East Lansing is no exception. Cities all over the state are tightening their belts. Obviously, the lost positions are important, but the most important thing to look at here is that the core of services offered for the city's citizens have not been sacrificed.