Over 40 people protested outside Cork City Hall tonight as councillors debated the draft budget for 2014.
The council voted last week to restrict access to tonight's meeting following the forced adjournment of at least two meetings in recent months due to noisy protests.
The group of protesters was mainly made up of people opposed to water charges and members of the People's Convention.
Outside the locked front door, an open letter to the Lord Mayor was read out, calling the ticketed meeting "a scandalous disregard for and an insult to the people of Cork".
Edmond O'Sullivan told the protesters that they do count, but they have rights and they will assert them.
After handing in the letter, the protesters dispersed without incident.
Councillors voted to pass the budget by 17 votes to 13.
City Manager Tim Lucey told the meeting that the budget "marked a turn", being the first one in up to five years with no cuts to community supports, housing and road maintenance.
Mr Lucey said revenue remains under severe pressure but the commercial rate, which accounts for 40% of its income, will remain the same as it has for the past six years.
There will also be no increases in local authority housing rents or in the council's car parking charges in the city.
