At a work session earlier this month, the council decided to advertise a 2-cent increase in the real estate tax rate, which has not gone up since 1981. Although the rate hasn’t changed, bills have tended to rise in the past 38 years due to generally higher annual reassessments.

If the council decides to pursue the rate increase, it would be on top of higher bills caused by an average 7.9-percent increase in assessed property values in 2018.

At the work session, councilors made it clear that the meals tax rate increase wouldn’t have the votes needed to pass — Councilors Mike Signer, Wes Bellamy and Kathy Galvin said they wouldn’t support it.

A real estate tax rate hike, however, could have the necessary votes to pass. Galvin and Mayor Nikuyah Walker are in favor of it. Bellamy and Councilor Heather Hill are on the fence and Signer is not in favor of it.

At the work session, councilors were worried about the impact of a higher meals tax rate on low-income residents, which Murphy disputes in his proposal.

“The overall impact of this increase on the consumer is minimal and does not disproportionately impact low-income individuals,” he wrote.