City leaders are considering raising property taxes this summer to boost worker wages.
“It was exactly what we needed to do,” City Manager Wanda Page said Monday night as she presented her draft budget to the City Council. “Sometimes it’s not easy to do the right thing, but it’s always right.”
Her proposed expenditures total $667.8 million, a 9.5% increase over last year.
-
Page proposes to increase the tourist tax rate 3.85 centsup to 59.62 cents per $100 of assessed property value.
-
The district manager has now submitted a proposal 3.25 cents –tax rate increase, although the school board is pushing for more.
-
For a $254,000 home, the median within the city limits is: The proposed city increase adds $98 and the proposed county increase adds $83 per year to the annual tax bill, which would total $3,507. View the impact on your real estate online.
Page said the economy was performing well, but so did the wants and needs of next fiscal year “very important.”
The pay increases are expected to cost $28.5 million and range from about 7% to 20%, depending on the job.
-
Police: New officers would see an introductory pay of $54,817, a 14% increase.
-
Firework: New firefighters would see an introductory wage of $51,559, an increase of 18%.
-
Increase in the minimum wage: The minimum living wage would rise to $19.58 per hour.
The Bond referendum has moved forward
The City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve a $200 million bond referendum that will go before voters in November.
The park’s money would be split almost evenly between two projects:
-
A water wonderland – with swimming pools, a lazy river and water slides – at Wheels Fun Parka former ice rink that will reopen this fall.
-
A swimming pool, new play areas and other improvements at Long Meadow and East End parks on Alston Avenue.
The rest of the money would build 12 miles of new sidewalks, build 13.3 miles of dirt roads and expedite repairs and maintenance for both.
The bond — which still needs to clear a number of hurdles before it can be officially voted on — would raise taxes by 3.45 cents per $100 of assessed value starting in 2026 and slowly decline over 20 years.
What’s next?
Residents began voicing their opinions on the budget Monday night, with the progressive nonprofit Durham for All calling for an expansion of guaranteed income, and legal aid advocates calling for more money to go toward evictions.
The city and county will both listen to residents’ feedback before approving their budgets next month.
Here’s the schedule:
-
Tuesday May 28: Public hearing on the provincial budget at 7 p.m
-
Monday June 3: Public hearing on the city budget at 7 p.m
-
Monday June 10: The county commissioners vote.
-
Monday June 17: City council votes.
