The Schenectady City Council has passed Mayor Gary McCarthy's 2025 budget proposal.
Councilors voted 5 to 2 Monday to approve $116.7 million spending plan that carries a 3% property tax hike and a $52 a year hike in the trash fee.
There won't be a repeat of last year's weeks-long standoff between the council and the mayor that threatened to shut down city government.
Democratic Council President Marion Porterfield says "no budget is perfect."
"I know that no one wants a tax increase, but sometimes, with the cost of things going up, that is what happens."
The council also approved a raise for McCarthy, a fourth-term Democrat, boosting his annual pay by 18%. The budget was sent to him for review.
