Southampton City Council is planning to cut services and hike charges as it struggles to improve its "precarious" financial position.
Cost-cutting options being discussed on October 17 include a proposal to axe the city's pothole patrol, which identifies and repairs potentially dangerous cavities in the road.
The "Find and Fix" squad has helped the council make routes smoother and safer.
But the service could be scrapped as part of a cost control plan that aims to help the authority reduce spending and ward off the possibility of having to issue a bankruptcy-style notice.
The Labour-run council is also proposing to raise parking charges and increase the cost of residents' parking permits.
If the plans are approved, motorists will have to pay more to use on-street pay and display spaces in the city centre. They will no longer be able to park for free for ten minutes in Bedford Place and other streets.
READ MORE: Southampton City Council in 'crisis' talks with the government over cash
Other proposals include cuts in the arts centre budget and a reduction in IT staff.
Royston Smith, Tory MP for Southampton Itchen, said: "The council, in putting together their medium-term forecast, have demonstrated they have no idea how to get themselves out of the mess they have created."
Mr Smith criticised the authority's "obsession" with cycle lanes and low-traffic neighbourhoods, combined with its "war" on motorists.
"My constituents would rather they empty the bins and fix the roads, but if this mismanagement continues it looks like they won’t even be able to do that," he said.
Cllr Jeremy Moulton, deputy leader of the Conservative opposition group, criticised the council's "out of control" spending.
"When independent auditors raised concerns, Labour buried their heads in the sand and said the dire state of the council’s finances was a 'lie' and continued to spend on their pet projects," he said.
"Everywhere you look the council is failing – not collecting rents or council tax and losing money on property investments.
"They are shutting off two of the council’s most profitable car parks and block paving a new bus lane which isn’t needed. Meanwhile, they are planning to hike council tax by five per cent next year and putting up parking charges."
READ MORE: City council leader Satvir Kaur says the authority is being 'open' about its finances
A report to councillors says a projected budget deficit of £20.9m has been reduced to £14.1m, but warns that more work is needed.
The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy has described the council's financial position as "precarious".
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