Durham County commissioners approve 2026–27 budget, pledge partial classified‑staff pay increases

The Durham County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt the fiscal year 2026–2027 budget, approving a 2.5‑cent tax increase that officials said will fund partial raises for county classified staff and a package of public‑safety and social‑service investments.

Commissioners said Durham Public Schools has signaled it will match the county with a $2.65 million contribution aimed at raising classified employees’ pay. A commissioner described county estimates that the county share would amount to roughly a 5.8 percent pay increase in one set of calculations, while the DPS model reflected some early‑step increases closer to 9.43 percent; officials said not every pay step carries the higher percentage.

The budget includes more than $3 million for new ambulances and the hiring of 10 paramedics, more than $10 million for Durham PreK, and an additional $14.5 million in new dollars for Durham Public Schools, which commissioners said brings total county funding for DPS to about $239 million. The plan also allocates approximately $468,000 to the Department of Social Services for food security, $156,000 to public‑health programs to offset cuts, and grant pools including $320,000 for food security, $312,000 for early childhood programs, $250,000 for a violence‑prevention plan and $500,000 for a strategic plan to end homelessness.

Commissioners acknowledged the trade‑offs inherent in raising revenue and protecting affordability. One speaker said an unconfirmed article they recalled suggested a measurable number of residents might leave Durham for every quarter‑cent added to property tax; the speaker said that possibility makes modest, staged progress preferable to a single large increase. Another speaker called the budget “the hardest” they had worked on in years and thanked the county manager, budget director and staff for months of work that included staff‑level 2 percent cuts freeing roughly $6.2 million for a 2 percent cost‑of‑living adjustment for county employees.

County leaders said the proposed minimum for some classifications would be $18.22 per hour, with other roles (such as bus drivers) cited around $20.22 per hour. Commissioners noted the county and DPS must continue to collaborate to align future steps and stressed that achieving parity across all classified positions will likely require additional budget cycles and trade‑offs elsewhere in county spending.

A motion to adopt the budget ordinance was moved and seconded. The chair called for the vote and the motion passed unanimously. Commissioners made brief post‑vote remarks reiterating the difficulty of the choices, thanking County Manager Claudia Hager and the budget team (including budget director Keith Lane), and noting plans for continued conversations with DPS and other partners about implementation and transparency.

The budget takes effect as adopted; commissioners noted ongoing fiscal constraints and signaled further planning and intergovernmental work ahead, including a joint city–county meeting and discussion about long‑term structural options.