(KNSI) – St. Cloud City Council approved a 4% increase in spending for 2023 on Monday night.
During a public hearing, five St. Cloud residents asked the council to reduce its spending and approve a lower budget due to property tax increases that ranged from 25% to 40% for some people. The council members stated they understood the residents’ concerns and offered a series of websites to get additional tax breaks for their homes if they met specific criteria.
City officials say the 4% increase is lower than inflation and captured the considerable valuations in residential housing.
Around 62% of the budget is spent on public safety and another 21% on public works. The third most significant piece of the pie is parks and recreation at 10%.
The $82 million 2023 budget includes hiring six new police officers and one firefighter. It’s about $3 million more than what was spent in 2022.
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