Increases investment in WCPSS by $5.3 million

The Wake County Board of Commissioners tonight voted 6-1 to adopt a $2.1 billion budget for fiscal year 2026, which runs from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.

It will increase the County’s investment in the Wake County Public School System’s operating budget by $40.3 million, which matches the Board of Education’s funding request.

• Wake County Manager David Ellis proposed a $35 million increase in his recommended budget on May 5.
   
• The Board voted tonight to add $5.3 million more in the adopted budget.
   
• This brings the County’s total investment in the school district’s operations to $742.9 million. That, plus the County’s investment in WCPSS capital projects and debt, comprises more than 48% of the County’s budget.
   

“The County is not statutorily required to stand in the gap left by the State and help fund the operational needs of the school district,” said Wake County Board of Commissioners Chair Susan Evans. “We do it, because we want our schools to remain excellent places for students to learn and thrive.”

To provide the additional $5.3 million to WCPSS, the Board chose to make the following changes:

• Increase the property tax.
  Manager Ellis originally proposed a 0.25-cent increase to generate $7.7 million for the $142 million library bond, which voters approved in November 2024.
  
  The Board voted to raise the property tax an additional 0.11 cents, which would produce $3.5 million for WCPSS.
  
  This brings the total property tax increase to 0.36 cents and sets the tax rate at 51.71 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 $16.20 annually.
   
• Reduce seed funding for the Housing Opportunity Fund by $1 million annually over the next five years.
  When launched, the fund will serve as a public/private revolving loan fund to help buy and build affordable housing specifically in more affluent urban areas where acquisition and development costs are higher. This reduction will decrease the projected number of affordable units created from 2,500 to 1,250 over the 15-year life of the fund. It will also reduce seed funding from $10 million to $5 million.
   
• Reduce the number of new EMS staff by 12 positions.
  In his recommended budget, Manager Ellis proposed adding 15 new paramedics and 10 emergency medical technicians to Wake County EMS to meet the growing demand for service. Reducing the additional staffing will enable the County to direct $780,000 to WCPSS.
   

Fire Tax District
The adopted budget will 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 in these areas would pay an additional $67.50 per year. This is in addition to the property tax increase of $16.20 annually.

The revenue generated will help replace 10 aging fire stations over the next 10 years and implement the recommendations of a salary study to ensure fire tax district employees are paid competitively.

The Big Picture
Overall, the FY2026 adopted budget 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.

For more information on the FY2026 adopted budget, visit wake.gov/budget.