Updated: Monday March 26, 2018, 9:25 p.m.

UPDATE: ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) -- After months of discussion and nearly 100 recommendations made by the city's financial task force, Rockford City Council has passed a balanced 2018 budget, but some aldermen were reluctant to pass it.

The city council has waited to pass a budget until after the vote on home rule. Since the referendum was voted down the council had to look at plan B that includes a utility tax.

"It should have a line item on everyone's bill that says the realtors association, non-home rule tax,” said 9th Ward Alderman Bill Rose.

The utility tax will add around $6-8 a month to family’s gas and electric bills. The city hopes to generate around $4 million from this tax. Several aldermen did not want to vote to pass the tax saying it's regressive and a result from the failed home rule vote however, the council voted to pass the budget with the tax to keep their word on what would happen if home rule was voted down.

"I don't want to support a utility tax on gas and electric, my constituents, not all of them but a significant amount, you add five to ten dollars yeah it's going to make a difference to them,” said 13th Ward Alderwoman Linda McNeely.

"We told the voters what we were going to do and for us to start getting shifty and 'yeah I don't really want to do a utility tax' when all along we said it was A or B. So I think we're compelled to vote for B, because the last thing we want to do is come off as being a double-minded, wishy-washy council,” said 1st Ward Alderman Tim Durkee.

City staff will now review the budget and all the financial task force recommendations. City leaders say we could see the utility tax on our bills within the next couple of months.

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ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) -- The Rockford City Council passed a 2018 budget plan at Monday night's meeting.

The budget includes:

- A $400,000 reduction in the property tax levy

- A $1 million refund of general fund overpayments into the unemployment fund

- A $1.7 million refund of general fund overpayments into the workers compensation fund

- Adding $280,000 in net costs after a federal grant to add five new officers to the Rockford Police Department was added, bringing the department to more than 300 sworn officers for the first time in 10 years

- An additional $100,000 for neighborhood blight reduction and abandoned home demolitions

- Nearly $450,000 in police department scheduling cost reductions

- Savings and revenue enhancement projects of more than $3.5 million based recommendations from the Finance Task Force that would be implemented in 2018

- A utility tax on gas and electric services that will generate approximately $4 million in 2018