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The budget ball is back in the City Council's court, coming off a line-item veto by Mayor Martin Chavez that kills - at least temporarily - $9 million in funding for Bernalillo County's Metropolitan Detention Center.

The council on Monday can override Wednesday's veto, and appears to have the six votes needed to do so.

Councilor Don Harris, who is chairman of a key council budget committee, came close to predicting the override attempt would succeed.

"I don't think the council has heard any new information that would persuade us to do anything differently," he said.

The rest of the budget passes into law without Chavez's signature, as does the -cent gross receipts tax cut passed by the council last week. The cut will go into effect July 1, 2008, but Chavez and Councilor Ken Sanchez are introducing legislation to move up the date to Jan. 1.

The detention center is a point of contention between the mayor and the council. The mayor says giving $9 million to Bernalillo County to help operate the jail amounts to an unaccountable giveaway of tax dollars. A majority of councilors say the money is essential to protecting public safety and keeping the state from forcing the city to pay even more.