Wake County Manager David Ellis unveiled a proposed $2.1 billion budget for fiscal year 2026 to the Wake County Board of Commissioners. As reported by Wake County's official news, the plan marks investment priorities from public safety to education, supporting the unhoused, and enhancing libraries and parks. It seeks to address the critical demands stemming from state mandates and the county's growth.
Ellis highlighted, "Despite this uncertain economic climate, this budget is fiscally sustainable and ensures our residents’ most critical needs are met," emphasizing the alignment of his recommendations with the county's strategic goals as well as the outcomes of a community survey; he also stated that this proposal responds to an "uncertain economic climate" while fulfilling residents' vital requirements the budget distributes substantial funding to education totalling $1.15 billion and includes allocations for the Wake County Public School System, Wake Tech, and Pre-K programs for specific children.
The fiscal blueprint features noteworthy adjustments such as a property tax increase for a voter-approved library bond and for residents in the Fire Tax District. The additional revenue from the 0.25-cent property tax bump is designated for building and renovating library facilities, a move projected to garner approximately $7.7 million. The fire tax levy is slated to rise by 1.5 cents per $100 of property value to fund the rehaul of outdated fire stations and address a necessary 15% salary increase for fire tax district positions based on a recent salary study.
Alongside these developments, the budget incorporates measures to enhance healthcare and legal sectors; the addition of 15 paramedics and 10 emergency medical technicians to Wake County EMS aims to ensure effective emergency medical response for the residents and the introduction of nine roles to the Continuum of Care is an effort to mitigate homelessness in the community, efforts are also being made to better resource the District Attorney's Office and Public Defender's Office in the interest of judicial efficiency.
Wake County has initiated an open dialogue process, inviting residents to provide input on the proposed budget through their website, with the public comment period extending until May 21. Following the public hearings scheduled on May 19 and May 20, the commissioners will deliberate on public feedback on May 22. The final decision on the adoption of the budget is slated for the Board's June 2 meeting at 5 p.m.
