LEESVILLE — City Council members on Monday approved the city’s budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, but they expressed concerns over rumors of upcoming deployments of Fort Polk soldiers.

With a $425,000 deficit, Mayor Rick Allen told council members, the next year could be difficult for the city if the rumors prove true.

“We don’t know how many soldiers might be leaving, and we have no way of knowing how many spouses will leave after they go,” Allen said.

“There are a lot of unknowns in this kind of situation, and we have no way of knowing how the sales tax revenue will be impacted.”

Allen told council members to expect quarterly reviews of the budget as the year moves forward. If the city sees a decrease in sales tax income, he said, there would be “some big decisions to make” on the budget.

“There are no guarantees,” Allen said. “And this could be a very tough year for us.”