Durham officials present status‑quo FY2027 transit work program as revenues slow; city requests large maintenance‑facility funding

Durham County presented its draft FY2027 Transit Work Program on April 6, outlining a status‑quo budget that preserves prior commitments while flagging a slower growth outlook for the half‑cent transit sales tax.

The presentation by county staff and transit partners summarized FY25 preliminary financials — a preliminary $39.5 million in receipts, about $3.4 million under the $44 million budget — and explained that one‑time items such as $7.4 million in investment earnings and a $1.7 million reimbursement from Go Triangle temporarily bolstered fund balances. "We anticipate the actual ACT for coming out fairly soon," a tax district official said, noting a multi‑month timing lag in sales‑tax receipts. The draft keeps next year’s sales‑tax revenue assumption at $44 million and adds a single new line item: a required $650,000 transit plan update.

County staff said carryover capital encumbrances and previously approved multi‑year projects lock up roughly $45 million of transit plan funds. "Because capital projects often span multiple years, the timing of when these funds are appropriated does not always match when they are actually spent," the staff working group administrator said, noting a constrained five‑year outlook that leaves limited discretionary capacity.

The City of Durham requested reallocation of programmed funds to advance two major maintenance‑facility projects — the F Street and Junction Road paratransit maintenance facilities — and outlined remaining capital gaps in the tens of millions. Go Triangle submitted service and staffing requests, including additions to DRX and route 800; staff recommended delaying staffing approvals until a forthcoming staffing study is complete.

Commissioners pressed for stronger fiscal guardrails and clearer evidence of project readiness. Commissioner Jacobs said the board needed assurance that partners were "shovel‑ready" before county transit tax dollars were committed. "If people are asking for money early on, it makes it very complicated for modeling," the county manager said, describing the tradeoff between reserving funding and advancing early design work.

Staff emphasized the plan remains able to fund committed projects and that the FY27 draft prioritizes preserving the long‑range commitments in the 2023 transit plan. The draft will be released for public comment and return to governing boards for final consideration in June; staff said they will also share a supplemental document summarizing partner priorities for board review.

Next steps: the staff working group will complete the public comment period, present to GO Triangle committees, and return recommendations to both governing boards in May–June for possible approval.