A controversial budget increase for the Binghamton-Johnson City Joint Sewage Treatment Plant has been approved.

The Binghamton City Council held a meeting Monday night to determine why fees may increase nearly 60 percent and where reductions could be made.

The council approved the budget after several hours of discussion with plant managers. Council members went over the budget line-by-line, paying special attention to a nearly 460 percent increase for sewage treatment chemicals and costly construction delays.

In the end, the budget was reduced by about $500,000 to $10.3 million. The new budget will still likely increase sewage rates for property owners in the area.