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Town manager presents FY2026–27 budget with no property tax rate increase; public hearing opened
Summary
Town Manager Mark Collins presented the recommended FY2026–27 budget to the Wendell Board, proposing no change to the property tax rate, modest fee increases for solid waste and stormwater charges, and maintaining a general fund reserve above 40%. The board left the public hearing open for further action at the June 8 meeting.
Town Manager Mark Collins presented the Wendell manager’s recommended budget for fiscal year 2026–27 during a statutory public hearing, telling the Board of Commissioners that the proposal does not include a property tax rate increase. Collins said the recommended property tax rate remains at 42 cents per $100 of assessed value and emphasized the town’s intent to balance service levels while managing costs as the community grows.
Collins outlined several revenue and fee changes included in the recommended budget. He said staff proposes a $2 increase in the solid waste fee to help establish a standalone solid waste fund and reduce general fund subsidies for that enterprise. For stormwater, Collins explained the town is implementing an equivalent residential unit (ERU) framework; he said one ERU for a typical house is $120 per year ($10 per month). Collins said the manager’s budget also includes new fees for field engineering and inspections.
On reserves and borrowing, Collins said the budget maintains a general fund reserve target at roughly 40% (reported in the presentation as 40.3%). He described planned transportation borrowing of roughly $12 million for multi-year bond projects, with approximately $11.7 million shown as related revenue in the presentation. Collins reported a gross budget figure of $65,627,993 and a net recommended balanced budget of $58,454,498 after excluding interfund transfers.
Collins framed the budget as continuing the town’s strategic plan and funding a first wave of capital projects, including the Wendell Falls Parkway and Eagle Rock Road designs, downtown streetscape and parking improvements, and investments in public safety training and nonlethal equipment for police.
The mayor opened the public hearing for comments. No members of the public spoke during the hearing portion of tonight’s meeting. Collins noted that the formal adoption of the budget is scheduled for the board’s June 8 meeting and invited written comments and corrections to the draft prior to that adoption date.
What’s next: The board left the public hearing open for consideration and scheduled formal adoption for the June 8 meeting.
