Winston-Salem city council voted unanimously to adopt their 2022-2023 budget. The budget total is just over $627 million. The total was a $95.3 million increase from the city's 2021-22 budget. The budget includes a 2.4 cent property tax rate hike. The new rate is 63.6 cents per $100 valuation. The 2021 rate was 61.2 cents per $100 valuation. For further context, the city's 2020 rate was very similar at 63.7 cents per $100 valuation. The rate in 2019 was much lower at 59.7 cents per $100 valuation. The city opted to keep the ad valorum tax that applies to property in the Downtown Winston-Salem Business Improvement District. It is an additional 9 cents per $100 in property taxes. Here are a few other highlights in the newly approved Winston-Salem city budget: $1 million to increase pay for firefighters; $3.3 million will pay for a new fire truck and other fire department needs.