NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) —The Metro Nashville Council voted in favor of a new budget in another marathon meeting, and with the new budget comes a 34 percent property tax increase.
Council members voted overwhelmingly in favor of the budget by Budget Chair and Council Member Bob Mendes. The budget passed 32-8 after a debate that started Tuesday night and lasted five and half hours until early Wednesday.
The new budget will go into effect in July
Mayor John Cooper praised the budget, which was a replacement to his proposed budget.
The budget will raise property taxes $1.006 per $100 of the property's assessed value.
The tax increase will help fund a 1 percent cost-of-living raise to city employees, along with $7.6 million in additional funding for Metro Nashville Public Schools. Another $4.9 million goes to raising the minimum wage for MNPS employees to $15 per hour.
The budget also increases the budget for the Metro Nashville Police Department $2.6 million against the objection of several council members and protesters who have been calling for defunding the city's police department. The department said the increase in police funding will go to hire more recruits.
The meeting ended after nearly 10 hours at 4:15 a.m., making it the second longest meeting in council history just two weeks after the longest meeting logged in at almost 11 hours.
The next meeting is set for July 7.