"These are all very complicated, delicate decisions," he said of restoring spending for libraries while reducing spending for police, the Community College of Philadelphia, and the Cultural Fund.
The cuts will involve 10 layoffs, all in the Office of Supportive Housing, which deals with homelessness.
Nutter was helped by a tax-amnesty program that netted $42 million for the city - $12 million more than anticipated. But there also was a $22 million shortfall in anticipated tax revenue for the fiscal year that ended June 30.
"We got a reprieve," said Amy Dougherty of Friends of the Free Library, a nonprofit affiliated with the Free Library. "I think the mayor wants to make good on the promise he made to the citizens of Philadelphia and to our Friends groups."
The library still faces $750,000 less in state aid, part of a 9 percent cut to libraries throughout Pennsylvania.
The outline of Nutter's plan Wednesday generally was well received by Council members as painful but balanced, though steep reductions in police overtime already are curtailing programs hailed as reducing violent crime.
"People are a bit more pleased at where we are since the amnesty money came in, versus where were at as the budget process was ending," said Councilman W. Wilson Goode Jr.
After Council passed its budget in May, Nutter was frustrated that his proposed tax on sweet drinks died. He said he would need to cut $20 million simply to have a responsible budget.
At the time, Nutter said he would have to roll branch libraries back from five-day weeks to four, eliminate two fire companies, and hold off on hiring more than 200 police officers by canceling two classes at the police academy.
