(ABC 6 News) – Rochester City Council is once again talking taxes as it debates a proposed tax levy increase for the 2025 budget.

At Monday night’s meeting, council members considered a maximum of 10.35% levy increase, or $112,041,952, for a total 2025 operating budget of $689,419,593.

Many residents and council members were concerned with how high that number was, so after hours of discussion, it was brought down to 9.96%, or $111,645,142 for a total budget of $689,022,783.

However, most residents won’t feel that high of an impact on their own tax statements. For each taxpayer, it will depend on the value of their home.

Under the original 10.35% proposed increase, the average Rochester homeowner would only see their taxes go up about 4.5%, or $57.44, based on the median home value of $288,200.

Still, people like Wayne Wilson, who are on a fixed income, are pleading with city council to stop the spending.

“All the costs keep going up for us too,” said Wilson. “Being retired, we don’t get much of an increase on social security. I can’t just give myself a big raise.”

According to Wilson, his property taxes have gone up 65% since moving to Rochester in 2011.

Other residents, like Renee Bodovinitz, don’t mind paying more taxes if the money is going to services they find important, like raising pay for first responders.

“I think we need an increase in our police raises, perhaps for our police and detectives and for our fire department and EMTs,” said Bodovinitz.

Around $6 million of the levy increase would go to raising wages for police and firefighters to stay competitive in the market. While multiple other items were put on the chopping block, council members agreed investing in public safety was one area they didn’t want to cut spending.

To keep costs down, council members approved amendments to cut spending for an internal auditor and recreational snow making equipment, which both passed 6-1. Another amendment to reduce the council’s travel budget by half passed 4-3.

A fourth amendment to cut the salaries of council members by half failed unanimously.

The final motion to approve the tax levy with cuts totaling $396,110, passed 5-2.

The city council will hold a public hearing on the tax levy December 2, before officially deciding whether to approve it for the 2025 budget, or possibly bring it even lower.