Wake County adopts $2.28 billion budget, approving property tax hike to help ‘fill gaps’

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A two-cent property tax increase was approved for Wake County residents Monday night with a unanimous vote from the Wake County Commissioners.

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The increase is part of the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget, which totals $2.28 billion, and moves the tax rate to 53.71 cents for every $100 of assessed value for property owners in Wake County. The increase, for the owner of a median-priced home in Raleigh assessed at $450,000, would amount to $90.

This hike is something that drew concerns from many public speakers in mid-May when it was officially proposed at a commissioners meeting during which the budget was presented, and possible cuts were also discussed.

As the board chairman, Don Mial, explained, “This has been a challenging budget for our board because of the roughly $35 million revenue shortfall created by a growing number of property tax appeals and the Blue Ridge property tax loophole.”

The passed budget reflects a commitment of $8 million in new revenue available to “important public safety needs such as reopening the jail annex and adding new EMTs to meet the demands of growth,” Mial added.

In a release from the county, it also said the budget is a reflection of rising costs that stem from federal decisions, including the conflict in Iran and tariffs on foreign goods. In May, leaders said the county must find a way to fill the gaps created by the state not meeting budget demands throughout FY 2025-2026, as North Carolina became the only state in the U.S. to not pass a comprehensive budget.

“It also subsidizes areas where state funding continues to fall short,” officials said. “If the county didn’t have to step up and support education, social services and public safety, our property tax rate would be far lower – about 30 cents.”

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Food security program funding added

In its discussions of the proposed budget from County Manager David Ellis, the commissioners made one addition: to add $110,000 to fund two food security programs.

The two programs being funded are called “Farm to Early Childhood Education” and “Double Bucks at Farmers Markets.” The former delivers customized boxes of locally sourced produce, eggs and more to 15 family childcare homes and four childcare centers in Wake County. The latter allows SNAP/EBT beneficiaries to receive additional tokens when they swipe their EBT cards at nine different farmers markets across the county.

The need to fund these programs, the county said, stemmed from the federal end to the American Recovery Plan Act funds. Both programs were previously funded using those federal dollars, and without a change at the county level, they would have stopped receiving support in December 2026.

Education a top investment priority

The following investments contribute to the overall $823 million allocated in the budget for operating expenses in education across Wake County.

• $25.3 million to fully fund the requests of the Wake County Public School System
• $2 million to Wake County Smart Start to add 50 new spots to Wake ThreeSchool
• $1.8 million to Wake Technical Community College for staff payroll, as well as facility upgrades and utility costs

The fiscal year for this budget starts on July 1, 2026 and will run through June 31, 2027.

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