The city of Napa will open public hearings on budget cutbacks with some employee groups still debating $800,000 in requested wage and fringe benefit concessions.

“It’s still up in the air, unfortunately,” City Manager Mike Parness said Thursday.

Leaders of the police and fire unions are recommending their members accept concessions, but the biggest group, the Napa City Employees’ Association — representing nearly 200 workers — is still in negotiations.

The $800,000 in employee givebacks is part of Parness’ far-reaching plan to balance the city’s books after years of overspending.

Parness wants to cut funds for a host of programs, including Sunday library hours and drug education in the schools, while terminating 18 full- and part-time employees and eliminating another 28 positions that are empty.

With these reductions, totaling $2.3 million, and another $800,000 in union givebacks, Parness believes the city will be in a position to survive the next three to four years until new hotels boost city revenues.

Members of the Napa Police Officer’s Association are voting on a $180,000 concession for 2007-08, with union president Tim Cantillon predicting a yes vote.

“I did a straw poll. It will pass,” Cantillon said.

Police are being asked to delay until January raises scheduled to go into effect in July. Delaying raises for six months every year will produce a significant savings for the city, Cantillon said.

In exchange, the city is willing to extend the union’s contract for two years until 2010, Cantillon said. “We like stability in our lives,” he said of the extension.

Police willingness to make concessions is a turnabout from two years ago, when the NPOA was the only labor group that refused to cap salary increases.

Former City Manager Pat Thompson was unwilling to give police a contract extension in exchange for a lid on salary increases, Cantillon said.

Cantillon said he enjoyed negotiating with Parness. “He’s a reasonable person. He’s a good person to deal with,” he said.

Josh Pero, president of the Napa City Firefighters’ Association, said association leaders were recommending that members approve a concession package. A vote is under way, with results to be known in a week.

“It’s been all-consuming on everybody’s part,” Pero said of the months of negotiations. “The goal is to get a yes vote.”

Firefighters have been living with salary caps for two years. “We’ve fallen behind the average pay of a firefighter,” he said.

Without divulging the specifics of what firefighters are voting on, Pero said “the idea is to help (the city) gain ongoing labor savings, but help us get back to where we’re supposed to be.”

“We’ve always been willing to assist where we can,” Pero said. “We’ve always prided ourselves on being fair and honest.”

“We’re still at the table,” said Steve Crego, president of the Napa City Employees’ Association. He said he was hopeful that an agreement can be struck, but the next negotiating session is two weeks away.

NCEA has the most diverse membership of the city’s six bargaining groups. “Everything from custodians to electricians to park maintenance workers. We are the worker bees,” Crego said.

“It’s been a long process. It’s been frustrating for everyone,” Crego said. “We’re trying to make things work. We all understand the city has budget problems. We’re trying to do our part.”

Because NCEA agreed to salary caps two years ago, his members are a little behind the average wage paid by surrounding cities, he said. The city uses the average wages of nine similar Bay Area cities to set local salaries.

Parness said he was still “hopeful” that an agreement can be reached with NCEA. The proposed balanced budget that he brings to public hearing on June 4 will assume that all employee groups are willing to make some concessions, he said.

In addition to NCEA and the police and fire associations, there are three smaller groups representing mid-management that are in negotiations with the city.

If the city falls short of $800,000 in employee concessions, Parness has readied a list of additional employee and service cuts for council consideration.

They include more cutbacks in library funding, less street repair and the elimination of three police officers.