Durham County manager proposes tax rate hike for new budget

追加: 2026-05-16

[00:00:00]Taking a live look now over Durham where residents could be forced to pay more with another property tax hike this year. So in a proposed budget the county manager blames declining revenue. CBS 17's Ben Bowden shows us what you could see on your bill and where that money would actually go. That's all new at 5.

[00:00:17]A billion dollar budget proposal in Durham County could raise the tax rate for property owners. The proposed budget continues a delicate balancing act between limited resources, resident economic stress, and nearly infinite needs.

[00:00:33]And is presented while Durham County is navigating a new and challenging environment.

[00:00:40]>> County manager's recommended budget includes a tax rate increase of 2 cents.

[00:00:45]That would add $20 to the annual bill for every $100,000 of assessed property value. Growth has moderated significantly.

[00:00:54]This recommended budget and the near future must plan accordingly. That tax revenue would help support education which is the county's top expenditure in the proposed budget. Durham Public Schools would receive nearly $11 million in new funding which is still lower than the district's request. All of us are trying to figure out how we create a really strong budget to continue operations for the community in Durham, for the students in Durham, as well as thinking about what's going to happen at the state level. Now things could still change before the budget is finalized in June. There is a public hearing scheduled later this month where residents can voice their own opinions on how the county should be directing its money. There is going to have need to be some advocacy from now until when that budget is finalized to see if there's any more that we can get.

[00:01:39]>> The city of Durham is set to release its proposed budget later this month which could increase the tax rate further.

[00:01:46]In Durham, Ben Bowden, CBS 17 News.