A detective dedicated to investigating Internet predators and a school resource officer are two additions sought by the Thousand Oaks Police Department as part of the city's proposed $411 million two-year budget.

The proposed budget calls for $214.2 million worth of spending in fiscal year 2007-08, which begins July 1, and $196.9 million in 2008-09.

Revenue growth is expected to level off, with the city using conservative projections for sales tax revenue over the next two years. This fiscal year, sales tax revenue was $200,000 less than expected.

At the same time, the budget calls for new user fees for everything from planning services to parking in the Civic Arts Plaza lot.

The proposed budget does not call for new programs in the next two years. Finance Director Candis Hong told the City Council during a budget study session Tuesday night that departments had to do "a significant amount of cutting" to balance the budget proposal. Open positions, for example, would remain vacant.

The budget does, however, call for adding the Internet detective and school resource officer.

The city plans to close the Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE, program in local elementary schools. The two DARE officers will become school resource officers and a third would be hired. They would be assigned to work in the city's three high schools.

The new detective would focus on Internet predators. "We've all watched Dateline,' " sheriff's Capt. Randy Pentis said of the television program that works with authorities to help catch sexual predators. "We've all seen the predators. We need to have a full-time resource attacking that."

Mayor Andy Fox questioned how much the school district would contribute to the resource officer program. City Manager Scott Mitnick said the city would absorb the entire cost.

"I am concerned about the partnership in terms of sharing cost with the school district," Fox said. "I'm concerned we are approaching an out-of-balance relationship that I don't think will be healthy for either in the long run."

The proposed addition of three part-time student workers and one part-time aide at the library, with a $34,000 price tag, also prompted concern. Councilman Dennis Gillette questioned whether library officials would ask for more staffing later.

"I want to hear from the library that this is their absolute last request for a major increase in staffing," Gillette said.

A library official assured the council that the four new positions would be enough for the near future.

A public hearing on the budget will be held June 12.