The Marshalltown City Council heard from several city department heads at its regular meeting on Monday with the hope of finding a feasible solution for minimizing the city’s general fund deficit, which currently stands at $494,737.

City Administrator Jessica Kinser presented ideas from each department head that potentially could reduce the current deficit by as much as $92,000.

The council also looked at decreasing the amount of funding provided to the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce through the city’s hotel/motel tax as a way of better reducing the overall budget deficit. The city is required to use at least 50 percent of all revenues generated from the tax for improving recreational offerings or to better promote tourism. The city is currently providing 67 percent toward the chamber, but reducing that amount to 50 percent would be a possible way of helping to reduce the overall budget deficit.

The council also discussed the possibility of ending the city’s current legal services contract with City Attorney Roger Schoell, which would save the city an estimated $20,000.

The council will meet in special session on January 31st to further address the city’s current budget deficit.