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Durham manager unveils FY2025-26 budget proposing 3.5¢ tax increase, $688M general fund
Summary
County manager presented a recommended fiscal year 2025–26 budget that includes a proposed 3.5¢ property tax rate increase to raise about $30 million, $10.3 million in additional funding for Durham Public Schools, new public-safety and EMS positions, utility fee increases, and a total county budget of just over $1 billion.
County Manager Tara Lum presented the Durham County recommended budget for fiscal year 2025–26 during the May 12 Board of County Commissioners meeting, framing the plan as a balancing act between limited revenue growth and rising service needs.
Key elements of the recommended budget presented include a proposed 3.5¢ increase to the county property tax rate (above the revenue-neutral rate), which the manager said would generate roughly $30 million in new revenue for education, public safety, capital projects and debt service. The countywide budget across all funds would increase 7.4% to just over $1 billion; the general fund would rise 5.6% to roughly $688 million.
The recommendation would increase Durham Public Schools funding by about $10.3 million in current expense support (a roughly 4% increase), bringing total county support to nearly $224 million and raising per-pupil county funding to $5,496. The budget also proposes additional one-time capital funds ($10 million) to address deferred maintenance and urgent repairs.
Staffing and public safety: the manager recommended 44.5 new positions but offset that by reallocating 33 vacant positions; net new full-time equivalent positions across the county are about 11. Public-safety additions comprise the bulk of new roles: five law-enforcement officers to improve coverage in the Research Triangle Park area and 12 additional paramedic and EMT positions to increase ambulance availability and shift coverage. The recommendation also includes replacement of eight vehicles, including five ambulances, and an emergency-management deputy chief.
Utilities and fees: the recommended budget includes a 12% increase to the sewer monthly consumption rate and a stormwater utility fee increase from $80 to $96 per equivalent residential unit to cover state compliance costs.
Personnel costs: the budget sets aside $6.3 million to cover increased employee-benefit costs and funds for a merit-pay program; total additional health-care cost support was cited at roughly $6.2 million in the presentation.
Other investments: the budget proposes continued support to Durham Technical Community College (a 1.5% increase in total funding, with $2.1 million designated for student scholarships), expansion of the youth home and RISE center with 8.5 new positions in the final phase of expansion, and stepped-up investment in gang-intervention Project BUILD to serve younger youth (adding three outreach workers to serve ages 10–13).
Timeline and next steps: the county will hold a public hearing on the recommended budget on Tuesday, May 27. Budget work sessions were scheduled to begin May 20 with additional sessions on May 22, May 29 and June 3; adoption was scheduled for June 9.
Manager Lum acknowledged fiscal uncertainty driven by slower sales-tax growth, depressed EMS patient-fee revenues and other revenue headwinds, and framed the recommended tax increase and spending priorities as necessary to preserve core services and invest in public safety, education and infrastructure.
