A year ago, Nashville faced a grim financial future with revenue shortfall that resulted in a status quo budget.

But Wednesday, when Nashville Mayor David Briley laid out his proposed budget to the Metro Council for the fiscal year that will begin July 1, he painted a more cheerful picture.

He is proposing a budget for Nashville totaling $2.33 billion, a $101.5 million overall increase over the current year.

The 4.5% boost puts Metro government back on par with budget increases from previous years.

Because of increases in tax revenue and a controversial decision to sell Metro land, the city can a deliver on a promised cost-of-living raise for Metro employees.

"It's a budget that is fiscally responsible ... that makes progress," Briley said in an interview with The Tennessean. "It's better than last year's and it's a budget that focuses on the priorities of the city. In a year, we feel like we made a lot of progress in moving past a glitch in the budget and we're back on track."

Briley again ruled out a property tax increase.

Metro is projecting overall revenue to grow by collecting $103.6 million in the upcoming fiscal year.

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Though more than last year's $87.8 million, it still remains weaker than previous years, despite the development boom in the city. Nashville's budgeted revenue grew by an average of $120 million in fiscal years 2017 and 2018.

Briley's budget banks on $34 million as part of the upfront payment in Nashville's private parking deal and $11.5 million in the sale of Metro's District Energy System.

To balance out the current fiscal year budget, the city had expected to use a one-time $15 million payment from the parking deal, but that has been delayed.

Instead, officials say money would come from the city’s fund balance that closed "higher than expected" this year. Then, next fiscal year, when the parking deal is completed and the city gets a $34 million upfront payment, the city will put the money toward debt services.

Council member Bob Mendes characterized it as a "pay loan for ourselves."

"Everyone knows the tax rate got set in the wrong spot a few years ago and now, rather than owning up to the mistake and fixing it, the city is being asked to do increasingly complicated juggling of assets to make ends meet," he said.

The impact? Taking it out on employees with a less salary and on residents by not expanding services for the growing city.

Metro Council Finance Chair Tanaka Vercher said numbers within the budget are preliminary and that she wants to consider the budget further.

“For me as chair, I am doing best interest fiscally for the overall budget,” Vercher said.

The Metro Council is required to vote on a final budget before July 1.

Here are key takeaways from Briley’s budget:

$28.2M increase for Metro schools

The $28.2 million increase for Nashville public schools' operating budget is far below the request from the district.

But it was widely expected the full $76.7 million budget increase asked for by the Metro Nashville Public Schools board wouldn't be filled by the city. The majority of the funds would have gone to pay raises for teachers and support staff.

The budget ask, which Briley called "aspirational," was heavy on employees, but didn't address the needs of the city's lowest-performing schools.

"I share their aspirations that we need to do more," Briley said. "But I think it needs to be a more comprehensive, objective assessment of what we are doing well, what we need to improve on, how we are going to do it and what it is going to cost."

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Brad Rayson, president of Service Employees International Union Local 205, said he hopes Metro Council will decide to full-fund the school board's budget request.

"The MNPS School Board requested much more than what Mayor Briley is proposing and our teachers, paraprofessionals, and other school support staff - many of whom work two or three jobs just to get by - literally can’t afford to wait for the “multi-year, long-term approach," he said.

Briley's proposed budget would bring the school district's operations budget to $914 million for the 2019-20 school year. He said the increase to operations is with little help from the state.

The district is projected to get about $587,000 in increases for education from the state.

"I know schools will need more resources as we move forward," Briley said. "I think it is deeply disappointing that the state would spend more than $100 million on K-12 and we are not even getting a percent of it."

The mayor said he expects the district to give employees a 3% cost-of-living raise. He also wants the school board to work with the city to map out needs.

"As I have said, we need to talk about a multi-year plan to allocate resources for Metro Nashville Public Schools," Briley said.

He did not release details on a memorandum of understanding with the school board after a tumultuous last year that led to it buying out the contract of Director of Schools Shawn Joseph.

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Raises for Metro employees

After the city walked back on its promise last year, Metro employees are set to receive a 3% raise worth $23.3 million, if the Metro Council signs off on the budget.

Briley's budget also proposes that all full-time employees in the city's general pay plan make at least $15 per hour — which does not apply to Metro school employees — and a 2% open range and salary step increase for eligible workers.

Starting pay for police officers would be increased by 6.4% and $3 million would go toward body-worn cameras for officers, while $1.5 million would go to Nashville's community police oversight board.

Another $250,000 will fund commissioned studies on public safety and Metro Public Works in the next year.

Briley told The Tennessean he will look specifically at staffing at Metro Fire and look into bringing more Metro projects in-house, rather than outsourcing, citing the investigation into Collier Engineer's contract with the city.

Collier Engineering:5 things to know about the investigations

Also in the budget

A fourth straight allotment of $10 million for the Barnes Fund for Affordable Housing was also included in Briley's budget.

The mayor said the the city will stick to the figure for the upcoming year and see what happens in the next year's budget.

"My sense is that it will go up," he said.

Briley is also proposing $300,000 to continue the Housing Incentives Pilot Program

Nashville's General Hospital, which was a winner in Briley's budget last year, will be fully-funded with a $43.1 million subsidy.

The budget would also provide $3.5 million for the city's Bordeaux Nursing Home and $2 million for the Knowles Assisted Living Facility. Both facilities, though operated by private entities, receive some city funding.

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Other recommendations in Briley's budget include:

$442,300 to hire five employees to staff the Equal Business Opportunity Program.

$1 million for the GRAD Program.

$150,000 for a Study and Formulating Committee.

$518,100 for increasing recycling every other week.

$2.5 million for the 2020 Elections.

$2.6 million for Metro facility openings that include the Bellevue Community Center, New Police Headquarters and the Family Safety Center.

Increasing targeted savings for the General Fund to $12.9 million.

Establishing a targeted savings goal of $6.2 million for MNPS.

Expanding Parthenon hours for a $206,000 net revenue.

Yihyun Jeong covers politics in Nashville for USA TODAY NETWORK - TENNESSEE. Reach her at yjeong@tennessean.com and follow her on Twitter @yihyun_jeong.