CHARLOTTE – The Charlotte City Council approved the budget Monday night, but delayed the $926 million capital plan that raises the property tax rate 8 percent. The 7-4 vote means the city's property tax rate stays the same next year as the City Council works to find better consensus of which projects to support across the next decade.

The city council did approve the budget that will keep the tax rate the same at 43.7 cents. The city budget does include raises for fire police and city employees, as well as offering domestic partner benefits for the first time.

But the council couldn't find strong consensus on what capital projects to keep in or take out, and what property tax rate would be needed to support them. The council will start that set of discussions starting in September.

"Maybe we need to go back to the drawing table and get this right and figure out how to we help the whole community," said At-Large member David Howard.

"I don't think it's in the best interest of Charlotte," said council member Michael Barnes, D-District 4. "I think it does much more to move us backwards then it does forward."

Mayor Anthony Foxx was disappointed in the decision but still thought it was best to spend more time on a capital improvement plan that garnered more support.

The stable tax rate means the city of Charlotte will continue to have the same tax rate as it did in 2006, the last time taxes were raised.