City council approved Bethlehem’s $73,850,000 budget for 2016 at the Dec. 15 meeting.

The approval came after several meetings on various parts of the budget, with discussions running late into the evening. Council members consulted with members of the city administration to find budget cuts that would lessen the tax increase for residents.

Councilmembers-elect Shawn Martell, Michael Colon and Olga Negron also participated in the budget discussions.

During the first budget meeting Nov. 11, council discussed the budget segments for the Department of Administration, General Fund Revenue, General Fund Expenditures, General Fund Expenses, Debt Service, Civic Expenses, Council, Mayor, Treasurer, Controller, Law Bureau, Community Development Block Grant, and the Community and Economic Development Department.

The second budget meeting Nov. 12 covered the Fire Department, EMS Bureau, Police Department, and 911 Fund.

At the third budget meeting Nov. 19, council members discusses the budgets for the Parks and Public Property Department, Golf Course Enterprise Fund, Public Works Department, Liquid Fuels Fund, and the Non-Utility Capital Fund.

The fourth budget meeting Nov. 23 covered the city Water and Sewer funds and their respective capital funds.

The final meeting Dec. 3 was an opportunity to discuss amendments. Council members Eric Evans and Michael Recchiuti proposed amendments to make some cuts and lessen the tax impact on residents.

Evans and Recchiuti proposed cuts totaling $300,000 which reduced the tax increase for 2016. The total tax rate for 2016 will be 17.27mills for Northampton County and 5.46 mills for Lehigh County. For the city, 2016 tax rate for General City purposes will be 2.77 and 8.61 mills for Northampton County.

“This is a good budget. It does not include borrowing,” Evans said. He said the budget does not include sell-offs to make ends meet. “We’re more structurally sound than we have been in years.”