The best way to increase Lummi Island ferry fares seems to be a troublesome topic for Whatcom County Council members, who will have discussions again on the issue Tuesday.

This week, County Council members were scheduled to vote on a new rate structure to recoup a $653,000 deficit in the ferry system’s operating budget.

But Public Works Director Frank Abart provided the council with updated statistics Friday morning, showing the ferry had $740,000 more in operating costs than the amount the council and Public Works based increased rates on.

Since the last time costs were calculated in November, the county has gotten more accurate projections for wages and benefits, fuel and maintenance and repairs, accounting for the increase, Abart said.

Council members Carl Weimer and Sam Crawford, who met a few times in recent weeks to discuss their differing proposals, have been unable to agree on what they believe is a very big deal in how to calculate operating costs.

Whatcom County code requires that passengers pay 55 percent of the operating costs of the ferry system through ticket sales, which hasn’t been happening. Public Works has suggested three options to recoup the 55 percent figure now and also make up the deficit within the next five, six or seven years, depending on how aggressively the council wants to increase rates in coming years.

But the higher projected operating costs mean that neither of two proposals offered by Weimer and Crawford would eliminate the deficit by 2012, according to Public Works data.

Crawford proposed a five-year plan to council members, who balked and then appeared to be more interested in Weimer’s proposal, which increased fees across the board and boosted summer rates.

Crawford also conceded that Weimer’s proposal was more popular with the council as well as with the public. But he said he was concerned that Weimer was steadfast in not wanting a state fuel-tax subsidy to be included when calculating fare rates.

“I have given in on everything except what I would call the biggest tax shift item that he had in his proposal,” Crawford said. “I don’t see him having given in on anything. In other words, I don’t recall him offering up any compromise from his original proposal.”

Weimer said he believed the two council members had simply come to agreement on various issues other than taking the state’s subsidy out of calculations.

“I think the only thing that we haven’t agreed on is that one chunk of money,” Weimer said. “Maybe he’s just not been paying close attention.”

Weimer’s goal, he said, is to not be as aggressive in eliminating discounts but still trying to recoup the deficit within five years.

“Moving targets from Public Works is making this pretty difficult,” Weimer said.