Washington council debates restoring campaign tax cut; no budget vote

Councilmembers on the Washington City Council debated a proposal to direct the City Manager to revise the FY 2026–27 budget to deliver a floor property-tax rate of $0.415 per $100 of assessed value — a 7¢ (14.4%) cut from the current $0.485 rate — but the Council did not vote on the proposal at its May 11 meeting.

The substitute proposal was presented by Councilmember Joe Davis as a compromise between an earlier campaign pledge to cut the rate 28.6% (to $0.375) and the City Manager’s recommended 2¢ reduction. The proposed motion asked the Manager to return within 14 days with a revised budget showing the $0.415 floor, an itemized list of operational savings and utility-rate corrections used to reconcile the reduction, and a written statement identifying any service-level changes the Manager believes would result.

City Manager Jon Rorie warned that additional reductions would have real staffing consequences. "For every one cent tax reduction equates to two positions that have to be eliminated as well as reducing service levels," Rorie said during the discussion, noting the Manager had already prepared a budget that reflected a 2¢ reduction in a short time frame.

Council debate focused on balancing campaign commitments and preserving services. Councilmember Max Perreault noted the Manager compiled a revised budget within weeks that already included a 2¢ cut; Councilmember Antwan Horton said he opposed eliminating employees. Councilmember Anthony Tyre emphasized that any deeper cuts would require Council action rather than administrative changes by staff.

The proposal included examples of household impact cited in staff materials: a 7¢ reduction would return about $210 per year to the owner of a $300,000 home, compared with about $330 per year under the full 28.6% cut and roughly $60 under the Manager’s recommended 2¢ reduction.

During the budget public hearing that followed, several residents urged Council to preserve specific positions and be transparent about proposed cuts. Billie Wilson asked Council to reject eliminating two Community Outreach positions and said Council should issue a formal statement and consider removing Councilmember Davis over comments she described as offensive and dismissive; the meeting record shows no Council action on that request. Shannon Russell said residents were not told, during the campaign, how promised cuts would be achieved and asked for transparency on which positions or services would be cut. Ashley McKneely, speaking on behalf of 911 telecommunicators, said the role is a public-safety position and urged Council to retain those positions; she noted the group has a combined 83 years of service to the city. Other speakers urged the Council to pursue long-term planning instead of immediate staff reductions.

No formal motion to adopt a tax rate was made or approved at the meeting; the record shows discussion and a proposed substitute motion but states "No action was taken on this item." The Manager’s recommended budget remains subject to formal adoption in the budget ordinance before June 30, 2026, and the Council’s procedural materials note that adoption requires an affirmative majority of members not excused from voting under N.C.G.S. § 159-13 and related statutes.

Next steps: the substitute motion, as proposed, would require the City Manager to return within 14 days with a reconciled budget and explanations of any service-level impacts. The Council is scheduled to continue budget deliberations in advance of the statutory June 30 adoption deadline.