The Muscatine City Council agreed Wednesday night to fund an additional $75,700 worth of projects including the hiring of two additional firefighters without raising taxes. The funds will be taken out of the city's fund balance, according to Finance Director Nancy Lueck. The other funding requests approved by the council were $25,000 for Muscatine Center for Social Action and a $5,000 increase in the allocation for the Muscatine Humane Society. A request for an additional $10,000 in the allocation to Senior Resources was turned down by the council. Senior Resources had requested $30,000. The agency will receive the same $20,000 allocation as it received last year. Council members clearly wanted to hire the additional firefighters but did not want to raise the tax rate above the current $15.672 per $1,000 taxable valuation. The council hasn't raised taxes in seven years. "This is not a want. This is not a wish list," Fire Chief Jerry Ewers said in making his last pitch to the council Wednesday night. The city's proposed Fiscal Year 2017 budget had contained two additional firefighters. But Ewers had asked for four new positions. "We have the people to hire. We have a plan in place. We have a training plan in place. We are ready," Ewers said.