The Fayetteville General Fund budget for 2019 comes with a $1.47 million increase in revenues which will fund increased staffing such as the addition of 12 firefighters and five police officers. Public safety accounts for 62 percent of the city budget.

The budget for FY 2019 that takes effect Aug. 1 totals $15.482 million. The 2019 budget represents a $1.94 million revenue increase over the year ending in July.

Significant areas of increase include $1.474 million in sales and property taxes and $593,000 in intergovernmental sources such as the firefighter SAFER grant.

As for expenditures, public safety accounts for 75 percent of the total increase, totaling $1.46 million, followed by general government at $166,052.

The increase in expenditures for public safety includes the addition of 12 firefighters through the SAFER program with benefits totaling approximately $750,000, and the addition of five new police officers with benefits totaling approximately $350,000.

Public safety accounts for the largest percentage of expenditures, with police at 34 percent of the total and fire at 28 percent.