Questioning the revenue projections in Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's proposed $6.7 billion budget, a city panel on Tuesday rejected the spending plan and asked for more details.

The Budget and Finance Committee refused to open budget hearings until it has more solid revenue numbers to work with. The committee raised special concern about the revenue the mayor's office expects from parking meters next year and the level of reserves it expects to reach.

"There are proposals for $53 million (in revenue from parking meters to cover) operational costs and more than $70 million for the reserve fund that we don't know will be there," said Councilman Bernard Parks, chairman of the committee. "I do not want another year where we budget week to week, hour to hour."

City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana said a decision was made to count on the revenue for this coming year rather than add to the layoff list of 750 workers.

"We believe the money will be there," Santana said. "In terms of budgets, I believe this one is less fuzzy than the year we have been through."

Parks and other members of the committee questioned the amount of money included in the budget the city expects to receive from the lease of parking lots and upgrades to parking meters.

Santana said the parking lot lease proposal is on solid ground, with 15 bids being reviewed now. He acknowledged the parking meter revenue was less certain.

"To me, you're coming from Fantasyland," said Councilman Dennis Zine. "Either this money is real or it isn't. We shouldn't be budgeting if the numbers aren't real."

The panel said it will meet again today with new numbers to review for the city budget.

Deputy Mayor Matt Szabo said he did not believe the projections from the mayor's office were too rosy.

"We think we have numbers that can be backed up," Szabo said. "We believe this budget represents the reality of where we are."

Councilman Greig Smith said he believes it is the first time since the Sam Yorty administration that a budget was turned back on its first day.

Normally, the first day of committee hearings is spent hearing from the mayor's office and city staff and then from the Los Angeles Police Department and Fire Department.

Parks said he was moving all those discussions back at least one day, and possibly longer, until the panel is comfortable with the revenue projections.

"It is not fair to ask a department to come in and talk to us when we don't know how much money we will be receiving," Parks said. "What's important about this is if we know we have to make a $50 million savings, it is a lot easier to do in the first month of a year instead of the sixth or seventh."

Representatives of several city unions also testified in opposition to the budget, saying it went too far in reducing services.

Cheryl Parisi of the Coalition of City Unions said they have been working with the city to make savings.

"We have put together a blueprint for how the city can maximize revenue rather than continuing to cut services," Parisi said.

Santana said the budget makes significant cuts in the employee workforce, saying it is the smallest workforce in 10 years.

Also, he said the city has been able to cover projected shortfalls with the layoffs being proposed, savings by placing workers on furloughs and some increases in property, sales and other taxes.