The Washington City Council adopted the fiscal year 2023 budget during their regular meeting Tuesday.

The budget includes a property tax increase of about 42 cents to about $15.64 per $1,000 of valued property, which will be the highest in four years, though lower than the city’s rate of $15.82 in fiscal year 2018. Finance Director Kelsey Brown has mentioned that revenue coming in from this increase could be kept in the city’s general fund to help pay off city hall building debt and go toward the capital improvement plan and maintenance, or the funds could be used toward replacing the 20-year-old sand filters at the aquatic center, or used towards employee wages. Capital projects for the next fiscal year include spending $1.5 million toward a $5.6 million total downtown streetscape expansion, relighting of an airport runway, a North 2nd Avenue Underpass evaluation, and a new T-hangar at the airport.