Proposal provides fiscal sustainability in uncertain economy

Wake County Manager David Ellis tonight presented to the Wake County Board of Commissioners his recommended budget for fiscal year 2026, which runs from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.

The $2.1 billion proposal invests in staffing and infrastructure for public safety, and addresses state mandates and the impact of growth. It also invests heavily in education, supports help for the unhoused, and improves access to parks and libraries, which contribute to our high quality of life.

“Despite this uncertain economic climate, this budget is fiscally sustainable and ensures our residents’ most critical needs are met,” said Manager Ellis. “I’ve recommended investments that will advance the goals in the County’s strategic plan and address the results of our recent community survey – both of which serve as key guides for the work we do.”

The proposed budget includes a property tax increase for the voter-approved library bond and residents who live in the Fire Tax District. The County will use natural revenue growth to cover all other budget expansion.

Library Bond
The library bond will require a 0.25-cent property tax increase. The $142 million bond will enable the County to build five new libraries and expand or renovate nine other library buildings over the next seven years, increasing accessibility and improving service delivery.

The tax increase for the library bond would generate $7.7 million in additional revenue and set the tax rate at 51.6 cents per $100 of valuation. For a resident living in a $450,000 home, which is roughly the median assessed value for Wake County, their property tax bill would increase by $11.25 annually.

Fire Tax District
The Wake County Fire Tax District funds fire services in the unincorporated areas of the county and the Town of Wendell.

Many fire houses in these areas were built in the 1970s and 1980s for volunteer fire departments and no longer meet the needs of a modern 24/7 operation. With help from our municipal partners, the County plans to replace 10 aging stations over the next 10 years at a cost of more than $60 million.

The County also wants to implement the recommendations of a recent salary study, which found that market ranges for all fire tax district positions should increase 15% to remain competitive.

To fund these expenses, the budget proposes approving the Fire Commission’s request to increase the fire tax by 1.5 cents to 12.25 cents per $100 of property value for households in the unincorporated areas and Wendell. The owner of a $450,000 home would pay an additional $67.50 per year.

The FY2026 Recommended Budget also includes:

• Investing $1.15 billion, or 53% of the budget, in education. In addition to funding education facilities, it includes operating funds of $737.6 million for the Wake County Public School System, $42.6 million for Wake Tech, and $8.2 million for Pre-K programs for income-eligible 3- and 4-year-olds.
• Adding 15 new paramedics and 10 emergency medical technicians to Wake County EMS to provide timely and appropriate emergency medical care to our residents.
• Adding nine positions to the Continuum of Care, which Wake County now leads, to help make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring in our community.
• Funding for the first time for two legal assistants in the Wake County District Attorney’s Office and one social worker in the Wake County Public Defender’s Office to address a growing workload and help move cases through the justice system more efficiently.
• Adding six new positions to the Wake County Board of Elections in response to Senate Bill 382, which is now law and requires ballots to be counted within shorter timeframes than in the past.
   

Next Steps
Starting tonight, residents can share their thoughts on the budget proposal by going to wake.gov, filling out an online form and submitting it to the County.

On May 12, the Board will hold its first work session dedicated to this budget. Residents are invited to attend public hearings on May 19 and May 20 to provide feedback on the recommended budget to the commissioners in person.

The online public comment period will remain open until May 21. The County will provide a summary of all feedback received to the Board. On May 22, the commissioners will discuss the public comments at the second budget-related work session and consider any changes to the proposed budget.

The Board will consider adopting the budget during its 5 p.m. meeting on June 2.

For more information about Manager Ellis’ budget proposal, visit wake.gov/budget.