Budget planning is well underway for the city of West Lafayette

WEST LAFAYETTE, Indi. (WLFI) - The city of West Lafayette has started working on next year's budget and there's good news for tax payers.

The City Council approved the first reading of the 2013 city budget Monday night.

Mayor John Dennis said next year's budget won't require a raise in taxes. He said it helps that the budget is up 9.2% from 2012 due to savings.

With next year's budget, city employees, including elected officials, will see a 2% salary increase. There will also be a new IT department for the city.

The city will also continue working on infrastructure projects. Some of these projects include safety improvements for Salisbury Street and the reconstruction of Happy Hallow Road. Dennis said thanks to the city's planning, projects like these are possible.

"The money that we save at the end of each fiscal year, goes to the bottom of the general fund to over simplify, but it goes to the bottom of the general fund. What we do is, we target those funds for major projects," said Dennis.

There will be a public hearing for next year's budget. That meeting will take place on September 4, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. at West Lafayette's City Hall.