Wake County commissioners adopt amended FY2026 budget, raise property tax rate by 0.11 cents; 6-1 vote

The Wake County Board of Commissioners adopted an amended fiscal year 2026 budget and a set of related ordinances by a 6-1 recorded vote, approving a small property tax increase to fully fund an additional local school operating allocation.

Michelle Venditto, Wake County's budget management services director, introduced the FY2026 recommended budget, saying the manager's recommendation totaled $2,165,555,000 and included a 51.6¢ property tax rate split between 36.6¢ for operating expenses and 15¢ for long-term debt and capital. Venditto told commissioners they would be asked to approve a set of ordinances connected to the budget adoption.

The board acted on an amended motion offered by Commissioner Adamson to adopt the county's operating and capital budgets and related ordinances “except for appropriations for Wake County Smart Start,” and to make several adjustments: reduce the general fund transfer to the housing capital improvement projects (CIP) acquisition fund by $1,000,000; reduce the EMS frontline staffing expansion by $780,000 (12 FTEs); increase the recommended property tax rate by 0.11 cents to an overall FY2026 rate of 51.71¢; and increase the Wake County Public School System operating appropriation by $5,300,000 to $742,907,316, producing a FY2026 general fund budget figure the…