Atlanta property taxes will be at their highest levels since 2002 if Mayor Shirley Franklin's plan to balance the budget is approved.

The other option, administration officials say, is to lay off more than 200 police officers and 90 firefighters and close six fire stations.

The City Council is scheduled to vote on the property tax increase and Franklin's budget on June 2. Some council members said Thursday that Franklin's plan will be a tough sell.

"I don't want to give up on trying to fight a property tax increase, which means I'm going to have to go through the budget and find $40 million of things to cut," Councilman Howard Shook, chair of the council's finance/executive committee, told reporters Thursday.

Councilwoman Anne Fauver, whose district includes Midtown, said in a statement Thursday "I strongly oppose any property tax increase."

Franklin on Wednesday submitted her proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. City officials say Atlanta faces a $140 million shortfall. The mayor's budget balancing plan includes laying off 441 employees, increasing some processing fees, making reforms to some poor financial practices and raising property taxes to collect $40 million.

If Franklin's plan is approved, Chief Financial Officer Janice Davis suggested the city's property tax rate would rise by 1.7 mills. City officials said they are waiting on information from Fulton County tax appraisers before they can make an official estimate.

Franklin told council members during a budget hearing Thursday she is unwilling to eliminate the police and fire positions.

"I believe public safety is the top priority of city government," the mayor said.

Many of the layoffs were done Thursday. They'll continue through Monday.

Most Atlanta employees got the word about who stays and who goes Thursday morning. Then the less fortunate got their walking papers.

Thursday afternoon, Dana Jenkins, who works in the mayor's communications office, arrived at the old city council chambers to get the details of her dismissal.

"I was hoping that I wouldn't be one of the people," Jenkins told reporters, tears welling in her eyes, but keeping her composure. "They just told us to come to this meeting, we were getting laid off. It's a sad day."

In the meetings, which were closed to reporters, city officials explained benefits to dismissed members of the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, Law and Finance departments. Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs workers met at City Hall East.

The city has sought to ease the transition as much as possible, given the blunt force of it: only two weeks pays, and very short notice in an iffy economy. They planned a job fair for some employees and may hire some workers in city departments exempt from the layoffs.

Carla Sutton, a city behavioral health specialist, met with seven members of the city law department Thursday afternoon, explaining to them the city will extent counseling, career and psychological, to the dismissed workers for no charge.

"We're not sure for how long," said Sutton. "But as long as it's needed. We know such counseling is expensive, and people are going to be depressed, and they will need assistance, hopefully until they can get a job."

The city said it was shuttering its employee shuttle service Friday. Some drivers don't yet know their fate, but they were trying to remain hopeful.

"All I know is that we've got to finish strong, and stay positive, it's about fulfilling a need," said city shuttle drive Mike Crews.

In recent days speculation has been rampant about the criteria for dismissing workers. Sutton said he knew of at least one worker with 27 years service who lost his job.

"These layoffs are not necessarily based on the employees, and their performance," she said. "It's based on the need for city services."