Durham council adopts 2026 budget after restoring some cuts and ordering $50,000 in further reductions

The Durham Town Council voted Dec. 15 to adopt the town’s FY2026 budget as amended after extensive public comment about rising property taxes and a recently approved reduction to the Durham Public Library’s print collections.

Sheryl Bass, director of the Durham Public Library, told the Council the $18,795 reduction to the library’s adult and children’s print collections will “directly affect children, older adults and other vulnerable residents who rely on the library most,” urging the Council to reconsider and warning that Interlibrary Loan cannot replace a local collection. Chair Pro Tem Sally Needell said she would vote against the budget as written because she could not support halving the children’s book budget and asked that one of the Councilors who voted for the cut move to reconsider restoring at least $5,775 for children’s books.

Councilors debated multiple options, including whether to add a downtown-planning study funded by councilor stipends; that motion failed 2-7. Councilor Carden Welsh moved — and Councilor Em Friedrichs seconded — a directive for Administrator Todd Selig to identify another $50,000 in budget reductions in response to resident concerns; the motion passed 5-4. Chair Joseph Friedman then moved to adopt Item F (the FY2026 operating, capital, and special fund budgets and the 2026–2035 Capital Improvement Plan) as amended; the motion passed on a roll-call vote of 5-4.

Administrator Selig said he will revisit budget line items, identify $50,000 in reductions as directed, and incorporate that amount into the adopted budget. Councilors noted the Town Charter requires a budget vote by Dec. 31 or the administrator’s proposed budget becomes effective.

The meeting record shows earlier consent votes to approve property tax abatements totaling $460,318.44 and to award contracts for Phase 2 of the Wagon Hill Farm Living Shoreline Project (T‑Ford Construction, up to $1,517,099) and engineering/monitoring services (Streamworks, up to $461,570). The Council deferred a proposed site lease with T‑Mobile for additional negotiation.

The budget vote follows numerous public commenters reporting steep tax-bill increases — several speakers described increases ranging from about 14% to as much as 100% for individual properties — and urging Councilors to slow spending, pursue revenue growth and consider the effects on long-term residents. Several speakers who identified themselves as library trustees and longtime librarians outlined the collection’s role for children, older adults and homebound patrons and warned that reducing purchasing will shrink and age the collection over time.

The Council’s adopted FY2026 budget reflects those amendments and the agreed-upon directive for the administrator to identify further reductions; Administrator Selig said he will return with details on the specific line items adjusted.