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Durham County Manager Hager Presents Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Recommended Budget

Proposed $1.04 billion budget focuses on education and public safety needs while maintaining core services, includes a 3.5 tax rate increase over the revaluation established “revenue neutral” tax rate
May 12, 2025

Durham, N.C. – Durham County Manager Claudia Hager presented the Durham County Fiscal Year 2025-26 Recommended Budget to the Durham Board of County Commissioners during its Regular Session held on Monday, May 12, 2025. The proposed overall County budget for the upcoming fiscal year is $1,037,421,581, a 7.4 percent increase from the last fiscal year. The recommended budget includes a tax rate increase of 2.5 cents for the County’s General Fund and 1.0 cent for the Capital Financing Plan Fund. The total county-wide tax rate in the new fiscal year will be 55.42 cents per $100 valuation. 

 A main focus of Manager Hager’s Recommended Budget is supporting education, supporting public safety needs related to population growth, and maintaining the County’s core services.  

The proposed budget includes investing in Durham Public Schools (DPS) by supporting a $10.3 million increase in funding, for a total annual funding of $222,954,882. This marks the fifth year in a row in which the County has increased local school funding by over $10 million. The local per pupil expenditure increases to $5,496, up $128 per pupil, keeping DPS as one of the top five locally funded school systems in the state.  

While County departments expressed needs for expanded programming and new services, in light of the slowing overall revenue growth the Manager 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. The County is expanding its personnel authorized strength by 44.5, with a net total of 11.2 positions. Keeping this net increase lower than recent years was accomplished by a review of existing vacancies and realigning those positions.  

The recent revaluation that went into effect on January 1, 2025, resetting all property valuations to their market value, led to a Revenue Neutral Tax Rate of 51.92 cents per $100 valuation. This budget represents a 3.5 cent increase over that rate to 55.42. As with the County’s overall tax rate, most of the other tax districts in the County are also being recommended for increases to meet their personnel expenses, future planning, and other expense needs. 

Other highlights covered in the Manager’s Recommended Budget include: 

  • New positions focused on community safety areas
  • 12 new Emergency Medical Services (EMS) first responders to improve peak-time shift coverage
  • 5 new law enforcement officers for growing Research Triangle Park area
  • 8 new Youth Home counselors for the third and final phase of opening the new building and implementation of the Resources for Youth Success and Empowerment (RYSE) Assessment Center
  • Continued support for County employees
  • Salary increases of 3-4% based on County’s merit evaluation system
  • Additional $6.2 million in support of the employee health benefits plan

 

Copies of the FY 2025-26 Recommended Budget, Budget Summary Document, and Budget Presentation will be on the Durham County Budget Department webpage as viewable or downloadable PDF documents. 

 

Requests for an electronic copy of the budget proposal should be directed to publicinformationoffice@dconc.gov. Residents without access to an electronic device to view the proposed budget are invited to visit any Durham County Library location where Wi-Fi and computers are available. Hard copies of the FY 2025-2026 Manager’s Recommended Budget will be available at the Clerk to the Board’s office on the second floor of the Admin I Building, at 200 E. Main Street in downtown Durham. 

Once the budget is adopted by the Board, details will be accessible on the County’s Budget webpage. 

Budget Work Sessions are planned in May and June. The dates, subject to change, are as follows: 

  • Tuesday, May 20, 9 a.m.
  • Thursday, May 22, 1 p.m.
  • Thursday, May 29, 9 a.m.
  • Tuesday, June 3, 9 a.m.
  • Thursday, June 5, 1 p.m. (if necessary)

For questions about these session dates and times, contact the Durham Clerk to the Board at 919-560-0025 or clerk@dconc.gov. A Public Hearing for the FY 2025-26 Budget is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, 2025, during the BOCC’s Regular Session in Chambers at 7 p.m. Residents may sign up to give comment in person or virtually by contacting the Clerk’s office. 

The Board of County Commissioners is scheduled to vote on the approval of the 2025-2026 Budget Ordinance during its Regular Session on Monday, June 9, 2025. 

The public is welcome to attend all meetings of the BOCC, including the upcoming presentation of the recommended budget either in person or virtually. Information on how to join virtual meetings via the Zoom platform are released by the Clerk to the Board’s office. 

Residents are invited to make comments about the recommended budget by accessing the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Resident Budget Survey as well as participate in the Public Hearing mentioned above on Tuesday, May 27. 

Questions about the proposed budget should be directed to the Durham County Manager’s Office by calling 919-560-0000 or emailing publicinformationoffice@dconc.gov.  

 

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