Lebanon City Council approves annual budget with 2.4% tax increase Modified: 12/17/2020 9:33:40 PM LEBANON — The City Council approved a $61.1 million budget for the coming year that preserves the energy and facilities manager position championed by sustainability advocates that had been in danger of being eliminated. The spending plan will come as a disappointment to those calling for sweeping changes to how Lebanon allocates its tax dollars. Groups proposing that the city to either drastically curtail police spending or cut taxes were equally rebuffed during a roughly 4½-hour meeting Wednesday night. About two dozen speakers argued for their priorities to make it into the 2021 budget, from calls to maintain funds for an upcoming library renovation to lamentations that property taxes are pushing residents to look for homes elsewhere.