City leaders in St. Petersburg had their hands full Thursday, beginning the process of figuring out how to make up a $10 million budget deficit.

Right now, several options remain on the table, including a tax hike or a fire fee.

And although it is a subject politicians try to stay away from, Mayor Bill Foster said trying to meet a $10-million budget shortfall is going to cost everyone something.

The fire fee idea is being seriously considered.

"I'm asking everybody in the city to pay something," Foster said. "What this does, is it requires everybody who owns property just to pay something, even if it's a little bit."

The fee could be as low as $50 a year, depending on the value of the property.

However, the citizen activist group, the People's Budget Review, are not sold on the idea.

"A lot of people feel strongly that it's described inaccurately," said Darden Rice, with People's Budget Review. "It really has nothing to do with being ready for fire preparedness. And people are concerned that it has a fee that disproportionately impacts lower income families."

Formal budget hearings are scheduled for September 13 and 27.