GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) – Greenville City Council approved the proposed budget totaling over $459 million during Thursday night’s meeting.

“I think the city kind of took a conservative approach to the budget while also maintaining the highest quality services that we can,” said Brock Letchworth, public information officer for the City of Greenville.

The City of Greenville’s total budget includes Greenville Utility Commission, Convention and Visitors Authority and Sheppard Memorial Library.

The operating budget is $160.5 million. The general fund is approximately 63% of that total.

The budget includes a 2% wage increase for employees, as well as public transportation, stormwater and facilities improvement.

In a previous interview with WNCT, City Manager Ann Wall, said she was pleased there has been growth in the community and much of that is because of public and private investment.

“Arts, entertainment, special events, those types of things all included and the wage increase for employees as well, which helps keep us competitive in the market,” said Letchworth. “As a government entity, that’s very important when you’re competing against private entities.”

In the budget is an increase of $100,000 to the pavement management program, bringing it to $2.9 million.

Greenville’s property tax remains the same.

“All of the spending and the priorities that are set forth within our budget, are a reflection of the city’s mission, the city council’s goals and the things that we feel like move this community forward,” said Letchworth.

Letchworth said nobody spoke up about the budget during Monday’s public hearing. Thursday night’s vote was unanimous.