Durham Commissioners Approve $1.05 Billion Budget
Durham, N.C. – On Monday, June 8, 2026, the Durham Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) adopted the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget ordinance totaling $1,049,757,411. This year's budget includes a County property tax rate increase of 2.5 cents, for the County’s General Fund, to a total of 57.92 cents per $100 valuation. The budget passed with a unanimous vote by the BOCC.
The FY 2026-2027 adopted budget is 1.09% more than the previous year’s budget. As a part of the budget process, the Board increased the County Manager’s Recommended Budget by $4.33 million. The largest amount of the Board’s increase will provide additional funding for Durham Public Schools (DPS). The General Fund budget, providing the necessary financial resources for most of Durham County’s activities and services, is $704,244,240.
The County is also providing contracted Pre-K support with annual funding of $10.16 million. The FY 2026-2027 budget also provides $12,997,305 for Durham Technical Community College (DTCC), an increase of $378,644 or 3% from the previous year.
“Approving this budget was not easy, and it was never meant to be. Sound stewardship rarely is. We did this work through genuinely difficult times, and we did it the right way—by listening. Over these past months, residents filled our meetings, shared their stories, and pushed us to think harder about what Durham truly needs. The discussions were passionate, sometimes uncomfortable, and always necessary. That is what democracy is supposed to look like,” said Dr. Mike Lee, Chair of the Durham Board of County Commissioners.
This budget focuses on supporting education, funding public safety needs related to population growth, and maintaining the County’s core services. County departments expressed needs for expanded programming and new services. In light of slowing overall revenue growth, Manager Hager identified the need to focus on maintaining existing programs and ensuring a robust review of mandated services is conducted in the coming fiscal year.
In order to ensure certain programs were supported, departments were asked to reallocate wherever possible from existing budgeted amounts and most County departments incorporated 2% department budget reductions. The County is expanding its personnel authorized strength by 22.65 positions, with 14.65 positions created mid-year FY 2025-26, and a net increase of only 8 new FY 2026-27 positions created. Keeping this net increase lower than recent years was accomplished by a review of existing vacancies and realigning those positions.
“I am deeply grateful to County Manager Claudia Hager, the Budget and Management Services team, and every department that brought their expertise to this process. And I am especially proud of my colleagues on this Board. We did not always agree, but we never stopped working toward the same goal: a budget worthy of the people we serve. Passing the FY ’26-’27 Budget was a complete effort, and it produced a complete budget, one that reflects our shared values and the full breadth of this community's voice.”
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Other highlights from the FY 2026-2027 adopted budget include:
- 2% Cost of Living Increase (COLA) in employee salaries
- $1.5 million increase in County health insurance costs without an increase in employee paid support
- 10 new FTEs in EMS to support increased call volume and supplement peak staffing
- 5.0 reallocated FTEs in Sheriff’s Office to support increased coverage in the Research Triangle Park area as well as throughout the County.
- 1 new FTE in the Justice Service department to facilitate expansion of mental health services at the County detention center.
- DPS total funding of $239,078,901, a $14.55 million increase (6.48%) from FY 2025-26 County funding, bringing the local per pupil funding amount up to $5,998.
- $425,000 in continued funding for Hayti Reborn Justice Movement
- Intergovernmental funds received in Public Health decreased by $1.7 million (16.0% decrease) due to changing landscapes at the State and Federal level
- 2% reductions in most County department budgets to offset salary and benefits increased costs.
- Redwood Fire Tax District increase of 0.25 cents
- New Hope Fire Tax District increase of 1.5 cents
- Eno Fire Tax District increase of 2.0 cents
- A new Mangum Fire Tax District was created with a property tax rate of 4.70 cents