ST. PAUL, Minn. — The St. Paul City Council approved a budget for 2025 on Wednesday, which included a property tax increase of 5.9%.

The levy is 2% less than the mayor's proposed 7.9%.  

The budget includes funds to add firefighters to the East Side fire stations, restores $175,000 for library materials and $250,000 for free swimming programs. The budget will also utilize $500,000 for tree planting and $4 million for affordable housing. 

The council also invested $118.6 million in St. Paul police, which they say represents nearly the entirety of what Mayor Melvin Carter proposed to support officers. 

Carter, however, said the difference of 2% "saves median homeowners $19 per year by cutting millions in police staffing and other city services without a plan, reducing funding for streets and sidewalks, and eliminating two total positions — director of Human rights and police property room clerk — while adding two new titles to the City Council's staff."

He added in his statement on X that he would review the budget and "determine next steps in the coming days."

In Minneapolis, the City Council approved a roughly $1.9 billion budget, with more than 70 changes to Mayor Jacob Frey's proposal. Frey then vetoed the budget, which the council voted 9-4 to overturn.