The Green Bay Common Council voted to raise property taxes in the city next year, but not as much as originally planned.
The council met Tuesday to vote on the 2018 budget.
After just over two hours, the council approved a 1.98 percent tax increase, which would make a property owner with a home valued at a $100,000 to pay about an extra $17
Originally, the plan was for a 2.4 percent tax increase, but after debate, aldermen voted 7-5 to take money from a city's general account to get under 2 percent.
Regardless, council members said the increase was necessary.
"I like street lights and I like garbage pickup, and I like my streets to be fixed," explained Alderwoman Barb Dorff. "I like to have a good police department and a good fire department, and if we're going to have these great services in the City of Green Bay, we have to understand that salaries go up, equipment needs to be replaced, things get more expensive over time."
Other items discussed included employee pay increases, new positions at a fire station and a proposed wheel tax.
The wheel tax was not approved at $20. Alderman Chris Wery suggested a $15 wheel tax which will be discussed at a later meeting in the coming weeks.
