More than a month of 2011 budget deliberations by the Pierce County Council begins in a few weeks. Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy starts the process by delivering the preliminary budget to councilmembers on Sept. 23. An early draft of the council’s budget-hearings schedule shows the first of four 9 a.m. study sessions beginning Oct. 5 in the Council Chambers, located at 930 Tacoma Ave. S., Room 1045. Three more study sessions are scheduled to follow on Oct. 13, 19 and 20. The council conducts the first of its Committee of the Whole hearings beginning the following week on Oct. 25 at 1:30 p.m. These hearings will feature presentations by county department directors and countywide elected officials at various times through Nov. 8. The council is scheduled to approve the final budget on Nov. 9 during its regular 3 p.m. meeting. Committee of the Whole hearings will be broadcast live and replayed on Pierce County TV channel 22. They also will be streamed live and archived on the PCTV Web site http://www.piercecountytv.org .