Mayor Annise Parker said Wednesday that mandatory furloughs for civilian city employees likely will be used to help close the city's remaining $30 million budget gap, part of a combination of budget cuts, land sales and fee increases she plans to use to shore up Houston's finances.

Parker said she has yet to make a final decision on furloughs but indicated the city is weighing the option of giving city workers six days off without pay between January and June. That number could increase or decrease depending on whether a package of more than 100 fee increases for city services passes City Council next week.

Council on Wednesday unanimously gave Parker the authority to issue involuntary furloughs for civilian employees, less than a week after the mayor announced a voluntary furlough program this month. Although she was at the council meeting, Parker said she took her furlough day Wednesday; six council members, including Wanda Adams, Brenda Stardig, Jolanda Jones, Mike Sullivan, Sue Lovell and Al Hoang, have indicated they plan to take voluntary furloughs, as well.

Union officials have told their members to prepare for at least six mandatory furlough days next year.

"If there's a significant deterioration, it may have to be more as the months go by," Parker told council members. If the budget improves, she said, fewer days may be necessary. "We have been cutting the budget on a regular and routine basis since the beginning of the year."

The mayor said she will decide how many days will be necessary by Dec. 31, after she has a clearer view of how much the city can reap with various fee increases, such as pool inspection fees or security alarm permits, and real estate sales, as well as how much can be saved through ongoing departmental cuts and consolidations.

The administration is working on an ordinance that would give the mayor authority to lay off city employees as well, although Parker said she wanted to avoid layoffs.

While this year's budget outlook is bleak, the four years that follow may prove even more challenging for the city, particularly fiscal 2012, which begins July 1. The city has a projected deficit of $118 million for that year and a combined deficit over the next five years of almost $600 million.

While this year's budget outlook is bleak, the four years that follow may prove even more challenging for the city, particularly fiscal 2012, which begins July 1. The city has a projected deficit of $118 million for that year and a combined deficit over the next five years of almost $600 million.

Parker said a property tax increase is off the table for next year.

The furlough proposal is expected to save about $6 million. Parker plans to close the rest of the gap with fee increases council is expected to vote on next week, sales of city-owned land and departmental budget cuts.

Melvin Hughes, president of the Houston Organization of Public Employees, which represents an estimated 13,000 city workers, said employees who make $10.60 an hour or less will be exempted from the plan. Parker has worked closely with the union and on Wednesday said the furlough plan is better than a potentially acrimonious fight over mandated pay raises. Some council members had argued that in a time of recession, those 3 percent increases, which the city is obligated to pay by contract, should have been the first target for cuts by the administration.

Hughes said he did not have an estimate of how many city employees had taken the voluntary furlough, although participation so far seemed high. A handful of employees even volunteered to take two weeks off, he said.

"Most of them are standing with us because they're saying that jobs are number one," Hughes said. "They're all willing to do what they have to do to make this thing work. ... It's going to hurt all of us. One day is a lot."

bradley.olson@chron.com