Most notably, the city has seen an improvement in its pension obligations, which have spiked over the past decade. In recent years, the city has tackled the tough issue of reducing those costs.

“If we had not done that, we’d be in a bad position right now,” said Jeff Rainford, chief of staff to Mayor Francis Slay. “Because we made some hard decisions, we have kept our A-plus credit rating and kept our financial position stable.”

The budget for police, fire and other pensions is $86 million, about a $14 million drop from last year, when the obligation topped out at nearly $100 million.

Other Midwestern cities such as Chicago and Detroit have seen their credit ratings downgraded because of their failure to address skyrocketing pension obligations.

Still, the city finds itself grappling with an aging infrastructure and little money for major repairs and new equipment.

Lewis Reed, the president of the Board of Aldermen, said resident input on the budget centered mainly on public safety concerns and more money for neighborhood development.