Wake County manager presents FY26 recommended budget with library bond and fire-district tax increases

County Manager Ellis presented the Wake County Board of Commissioners with a $2,165,424,000 recommended FY26 budget on May 22 and said the proposed property‑tax increases are limited to a 0.25¢ levy for a voter‑approved public library bond and a 1.5¢ increase in the fire tax district for unincorporated Wake County and Wendell.

“We brought you some information back in March strategic plan, along with keeping up with the growth that we're having, which is around, as you know, 66 people a day,” County Manager Ellis said. He told commissioners the library bond levy would generate about $7,700,000 and that the fire tax increase would raise that district rate to 12.25¢; on a $450,000 house the combined fire tax increase would add about $67.50 annually in the unincorporated area.

The manager framed the budget as the start of the board’s work, saying, “So we're at the point now where this is, once I finish once I finish with the budget, I gave it to you all so it becomes your budget.” He asked commissioners to either accept his recommended budget, consider increasing the tax rate, or direct staff to return a list of options for cuts; he asked for guidance by about midweek so staff could prepare the June 2 agenda item for final adoption.

Why it matters: the recommended budget covers ongoing costs tied to county growth and priority investments in public safety, mandated state items, education support, homeless services and parks and libraries. Manager Ellis and budget staff emphasized that, aside from the two targeted increases tied to the library bond and the fire tax district, other growth was expected to be covered by natural revenue increases in the budget forecast.

Key numbers and scope: the FY26 recommended total is $2,165,424,000. The library bond levy of 0.25¢ is projected to raise roughly $7.7 million; the fire tax district increase of 1.5¢ applies only to unincorporated Wake County and Wendell and is intended to help cover station replacement, salary increases and cost inflation. Manager Ellis said the recommended tax rate would be 51.6¢ (countywide property‑tax rate) if the library levy is adopted.

Process and next steps: Ellis said the board should discuss potential changes among themselves and asked the board chair to report any requested changes by the middle of the week so staff could prepare the formal agenda item for the June 2 regular meeting when the board is scheduled to adopt the budget. Budget staff told commissioners that technical adjustments could still be incorporated into the ordinance language before adoption; any substantive change (for example, a different tax-rate increase) would be reflected in the June 2 materials.

Other items discussed in the session included outreach on the budget (staff described three community budget education events and two public hearings held earlier that week), and a list of the ordinances the board will be asked to adopt on June 2 (operating, capital and position classification/compensation ordinances). Manager Ellis noted the county remains exposed to federal and state funding shifts that could change local needs and said staff were monitoring those risks.

Quotes and commissioner concerns: several commissioners asked clarifying questions at the meeting about revenue assumptions and the timing for making changes. Commissioner Adamson, Commissioner Waters and Commissioner Stallings each asked for more detail on particular line items and on how the board could identify cuts or alternatives if it chose not to raise taxes. Manager Ellis urged commissioners to be specific about any changes they want to see so staff can assemble options.

What the board will vote on: the commission will be asked to adopt the FY26 budget ordinance and related appropriations on June 2. Staff plan to present the recommended ordinances reflecting the manager’s recommended budget; if the board requests changes during the week, staff said they would prepare revised ordinance language for the June 2 agenda packet.

Ending: Commissioners signaled interest in exploring whether any modest reallocations could be made to increase funding for Wake County Public Schools beyond the manager’s recommendation; several commissioners asked staff to prepare options and numbers ahead of June 2 so the commission could weigh a possible amendment.