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Dozens tell Durham County commissioners to raise funds for school worker pay and invest in family preservation during budget hearing
Summary
At a May 26 public hearing on the FY26'27 manager'recommended budget, dozens of residents urged commissioners to fund classified staff raises for Durham Public Schools, consider modest property tax increases, and allocate at least 1% of the budget to family preservation and reunification instead of expanded surveillance programs.
Dozens of residents urged Durham County commissioners on Tuesday to prioritize pay raises for Durham Public Schools'classified staff and to invest more in family preservation as part of the FY26'27 budget process.
Speakers at a lengthy public hearing repeatedly asked the commission to fund DPS budget expansion requests and to raise wages for the district'and county'employed frontline workers. "We very strongly support the admittedly stripped down essential ask of the Durham Public Schools Board of Education: $10.9 million in continuation funds, $14.8 million in expansion funds, [and] $7.8 million in capital outlay," said Vanessa Barnett Lauro of the People's Alliance Education Action Team. She and other speakers highlighted a request to raise classified staff minimums to the county pay floor of $19.22 an hour. (Vanessa Barnett Lauro)
Union leaders, classified employees and community members gave personal testimony about low pay, broken raise promises and the toll on families. "It's been two years since classified workers in DPS have gotten a raise at all," said Micah Tweet Meer, president of the Durham Association of Educators, pressing the board to "step up and do right by classified workers." (Micah Tweet Meer)
Some speakers asked the county to raise local revenue to pay for the increases. Rob Fields, a DPS grandparent, asked commissioners to "increase the property tax rate by 4 cents," proposing that the added revenue be split with 0.5 cent to county core operations and 3.5 cents to raise wages for the lowest paid county and school employees.
Family preservation and court reform also drew sustained comment. Multiple speakers associated with Stop Operation CPS and other community groups urged the commission to allocate at least 1% of the county budget to family preservation and reunification programs and criticized a proposed family treatment court as increasing surveillance rather than addressing root causes such as housing and poverty. "This proposal does not fix these issues," said Peter Eisenman, who urged funding for housing supports instead of treatment court expansion.
Process and next steps: County Manager Hager and deputy budget director David Ades opened the hearing, noting the county has received more than 240 resident comments on budget priorities and outlined upcoming budget work sessions (May 28, June 1, June 2, and June 4 if needed) and a proposed adoption around June 8. Commissioners did not vote on the budget at the May 26 meeting; the hearing will inform deliberations at the scheduled work sessions.
What residents asked for (examples reported at the hearing): funding for a 12% raise for classified staff and a $19.22/hour minimum for DPS classified employees; consideration of a 2-to-4 cent property tax increase to cover wage raises; reallocation of some proposed sheriff vehicle purchases to staff wages; and a guaranteed 1% of the budget for family preservation and reunification services.
The board closed public comment after the scheduled speakers and thanked participants; budget staff said deliberations will continue at upcoming work sessions ahead of adoption.
