SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - Residents in the city of Sheboygan will be paying the $5 monthly garbage fee for the next two years. The city council voted 11 to 4 Monday night to extend the fee, which was set to expire at the end of this year. Alderman Dave Van Akkeren led the effort to get rid of the fee. He said the city has had budget surpluses totaling nearly 7-million dollars over the past three years. He said, "Now we're standing here asking them to pay an extra five dollars for our garbage fee and extend that fee." Van Akkeren said it's the council's job to settle the budget problems without asking for more money. Alderperson Mary Lynne Donohue disagreed, saying the city has held the line on spending and that the reserve funds are needed to hold the city’s bond rating and do other things in the city. She warned that without the $900,000 that the fee generates, the city will be faced with cutting police officers, firefighters, library services and more. Finance Chair Don Hammond said the council has worked for several years to build its surplus funds, which have helped build the reserve fund, helped with road improvements, and provided $750,000 for economic development in the downtown. The original resolution had called for the fee to be extended for 4 years, but aldermen agreed to an amendment to cut that to two years, then approved the extension. Aldermen voting "no" were Van Akkeren, Bohren, Kath and Matichek. Meanwhile, the council also held a public hearing on the 2015 city budget, but no one came. Chief Administrative Officer Jim Amodeo said the budget has been balanced with the garbage fee revenue without increasing the city portion of the property tax in 2015. No one spoke up during the public hearing. The budget will come back to the council for final action when aldermen meet in two weeks.