Williamsburg City Council voted unanimously Thursday to approve the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

The $90.7 million budget has three main goals: finalizing funding for a new downtown library, improving the benefits package for city employees and eliminating the city’s reliance on funds from U.S. Housing and Urban Development, which administers programs that provide housing and community development assistance.

The nearly $91 million total is less than last year’s total of $117.8 million but “still more than is normal for the city of Williamsburg, and that’s just reflecting the fact that we have a whole host of pretty expensive capital improvement projects that are reflected in the budget as well as some residual, one-time revenues that have to be recognized,” City Manager Andrew Trivette said.

Two of the three priorities are not completely funded in the proposal: the long-term funding plan to replace the library, which would still require an additional $710,000; and completing the merger of the Williamsburg Redevelopment & Housing Authority with the city government, which would still require $500,000 in additional funds.

The budget is for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts July 1.

Some changes to the budget since it was first presented include added funding for four part-time positions for the city’s police department, room to match Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposal of a 7% raise for state employees and an adjustment to the full-time employee count to reflect grant-funded positions and newly approved positions.

Other budget highlights include $14.2 million for Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools, for which the city shares responsibility with James City County. The school system receives funding from the city and county based on the percentage of students enrolled from each locality.

While the tax rate — 62 cents per $100 of assessed value — will stay the same, property owners can expect to pay a higher tax bill due to an expected increase in assessed values.

In other business at Thursday’s meeting, Council voted 4-0 to approve a pair of applications that would convert the Baymont by Wyndham Williamsburg hotel into a residential property as part of the city’s affordable housing initiative. Mayor Doug Pons, who owns an affordable housing converted property in the city, abstained from the vote.

The proposal will turn the 81-room hotel into a 76-unit housing facility, consisting of 56 efficiency, 16 one-bedroom and four two-bedroom units.

“I see this as an implementation of … something that was identified by the affordable housing work group as one of their top priorities,” Vice Mayor Pat Dent said. “A top priority because it helps address some of the affordable housing, but a top priority because it’s something that can be done rather quickly as opposed to some of the other options that were considered.”

The Baymont is one of 13 hotels identified by the city as potential candidates for conversion to affordable housing. The city already has two affordable housing conversions at The Flats of Williamsburg on York Street and Willow Creek Apartments on Parkway Drive.

Some citizens are unsure about the project and worried that it will “have a domino effect of allowing other residential developments to get onboard,” Williamsburg resident Sabrina Fairbanks said during a public hearing. Fairbanks also said it seems as though the city is “headed in this modern, urban, edgy design aesthetic when that’s not why we moved here.”

Council also unanimously approved a request for a special use permit by Riverside Health System to develop townhomes in the Quarterpath area.

Sian Wilkerson, sian.wilkerson@pilotonline.com, 757-342-6616