Alamance County adopts FY26-27 budget, keeps volunteer fire district taxes flat

The Alamance County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt its fiscal year 26‑27 budget and related capital and ARPA ordinances and declined to raise volunteer fire district tax rates this year after a contentious discussion about staffing and expansion requests.

County staff, represented by Rebecca Crawford, summarized revisions to the manager's recommended budget, reporting a general-fund total in the neighborhood of $239.4 million and noting the removal of the manager's recommended 2.25‑cent property tax increase, which staff said reduced projected revenue by $6,184,562. To cover the reduction, staff described $2 million in capital-project cuts and other transfers; staff also proposed appropriating fund balance to make the budget balance. On the expenditure side, staff added $147,288 to support emergency medical services (to add a whole-blood program and extra uniforms) and $300,000 for operating costs at the ACC Public Safety Training Center.

Why it matters: the board's action sets the county's spending priorities for the coming year and determines whether some requests—particularly from volunteer fire districts seeking increased operating revenue for additional personnel—will be funded now or delayed. Commissioners said the budget process was difficult and that choices were being made to balance sustaining employee pay and core services with tax impacts on residents.

During discussion, commissioners debated four individual fire-district requests. Several commissioners characterized those requests as expansionary—seeking increased staffing or daytime coverage—rather than strictly maintaining current service levels. Commissioner Kelly Allen and others said they want to prioritize core public-safety needs but were reluctant to approve large recurring cost increases without clearer revenue growth. The board took a motion to decline the proposed fire-district tax increases (i.e., to keep the fire tax rates flat). After members clarified the roll/voice tally on the floor, the motion to keep the fire-district rates unchanged carried on a 3–2 vote.

The board also approved two sets of appointments by voice vote. Nominations to the library committee (Carolyn Burns and Stephen Squires) and Recreation and Parks Commission appointments (David Woody, Mike Dunning and Elizabeth Reed) were moved and approved; the meeting record indicates the appointments passed by voice vote (five in favor, zero opposed).

Finally, county staff asked that the board approve six ordinances together as a package: the FY26‑27 Annual Budget Ordinance; the FY26‑27 County Capital Project Ordinance; the FY26‑27 ARPA Project Ordinance; the FY26‑27 Schools Capital Project Ordinance; the FY26‑27 State Capital Infrastructure Fund Project Ordinance; and the FY26‑27 ACC Capital Project Ordinance. A single motion to approve all six ordinances passed on a voice vote recorded as five in favor, zero opposed.

What remains: several commissioners said they expect to revisit expansion requests for fire districts and other service increases next year as revenue estimates (including possible revaluation effects on commercial property values) become clearer. The board adjourned following brief final comments about tax burden, fund balance, and the need for continued public engagement.