MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis City Council on Tuesday approved a $794 million budget for the 2024 fiscal year with no property tax increase and a big raise for police and firefighters.

This was an easier budget than most, because the city has federal COVID-19 relief money left over. Here are some highlights:

• Property owners will continue to pay the current tax rate of $2.70 per $100 dollars of assessed value. Councilman Martavious Jones had proposed a 29-cent tax increase, but that was voted down by 10 council members.

• Memphis police officers and firefighters will get a 14% pay raise, making them the highest paid public safety employees in the region.

• City Council also allocated $300,000 to study the feasibility of a creating a crime lab in Memphis. Right now rape kits are sent to a TBI lab in jackson tennessee for testing.

• MATA will get an additional $3 million, bringing its annual budget to $32 million — plus an additional $5.7 million for capital improvements to the transit system. The transit service had asked for an additional $15 million.

• Council also voted to take the job of city court clerk off the ballot. Voters will no longer elect a court clerk. Instead, the clerk will be nominated by the mayor and appointed by the council.