Cape Coral City Council held this week what is likely to be its lone comprehensive workshop on the budget for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1. The board agreed the proposal by former city manager, now assistant city manager, Carl Schwing was a good effort. It balanced the need to maintain essential services while adhering to a council directive that the property tax rate not be raised although property values continued their decline. We agree that Mr. Schwing did a good job given Lee County’s economic reality. Taxable property valuation — the value on which tax levies are based — has declined 55 percent in just three years. Cape Coral is looking at a near 16 percent decline this year alone, a figure that’s “good” compared to the crash we’ve seen the past few years. The city is looking at an operating budget of about $138 million and a property tax levy of 7.97 mills, or $7.97 for every $1,000 of taxable property valu.