Service cuts are on the way in Calgary due to a slow recovery from the recession, according to city manager Jeff Fielding.

He was at a priorities and finance committee meeting Tuesday as council and administration started grappling with the upcoming four-year budget plan.

Fielding told councillors he wants more information on what will and will not be included in that budget plan, which calls for a tax increase of 3.5 per cent or less.

"Edmonton is in a different situation than Calgary," he said.

"We're still having the highest levels of unemployment across the province, so we're not seeing that level of bounce back that we would have loved to have had."

The budget will be made public in mid-November and then be debated by city council.

​With files from Scott Dippel.