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City manager proposes 5.75'cent tax increase to fund living-wage plan, public-safety and capital projects
Summary
City Manager Becky Hawk presented a $350.3 million FY27 recommended budget and proposed a 5.75'cent per $100 property tax increase — 5.34'cents for general services (mostly public safety) and 0.41'cents for debt service — to fund a citywide living-wage initiative, Wave transit support and capital projects; council scheduled follow-up work sessions and asked for additional detail on assumptions and appeals.
City Manager Becky Hawk told the Wilmington City Council on May 4 that her recommended FY27 budget totals $350,328,326 and includes a proposed property tax increase of 5.75'cents per $100 of assessed value to balance the plan.
"When you break that down, 3.93'cents of that increase — 73% of the total — will go directly to supporting public safety initiatives," Hawk said. She told council that 5.34'cents of the increase would be dedicated to general services and 0.41'cents would fund debt service for capital projects.
Hawk framed the budget around six priorities, including a living-wage initiative, public safety investments, support for Wave transit, and a two-year capital improvements program (CIP). She said the living-wage proposal would move the minimum full-time city wage to 60% of area median…
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