Wake County adopts FY26 budget after hours of debate; 6–1 vote approves $2.17 billion plan with small tax increase

The Wake County Board of Commissioners adopted the county————y2026 operating and capital ordinances Tuesday after a lengthy public meeting and commissioner debate, approving the amended budget package by a 6————to———1 roll-call vote.

The board voted to adopt the manager————recommended budget with adjustments that increase the county—————school operating appropriation and raise the county property tax rate slightly to cover that change. Commissioner Adamson moved the amendment that the board approved, which reduced a new housing capital acquisition set-aside by $1,000,000, delayed 12 EMS frontline hires (approximately $780,000), increased Wake County Public School System operating support by $5,300,000 (to $742,907,316), and raised the overall FY26 property tax rate from the manager————suggested 51.6————cent to 51.71————cent per $100 of assessed value. "I move that the Board of Commissioners adopts the FY 26 General Fund operating budget, except for appropriations for Wake County Smart Start," Adamson said in making the motion.

Nut graf: The vote settles months of budget work and public comment. Commissioners and speakers framed the debate around competing priorities————school operating needs, affordable-housing investments and emergency medical services staffing————and whether local taxpayers should shoulder gaps left by the state and federal governments.

What the package includes -…