View the County Manager’s Recommended Annual Operating Budget

It Takes Four Votes

The 2026-2027 Budget Looms Large

As I shared in my previous email, the budget season and process this year are like no other. For starters, the NC General Assembly has not yet passed a budget. Representative Allen Buansi put it plainly in his newsletter dated May 29, 2026: "969 days (2 years, 7 months and 26 days). That's the amount of time it's been since the Republican-led N.C. General Assembly last passed a new state budget. We remain the only state in the country that has not passed a new budget." That means that we as County Commissioners are, as one school board member said, "budgeting blind." Not only has the state failed to pass a budget, the federal government has slashed spending on our social safety net that includes health, housing, and other human services.

As you can imagine, there are so many ways this affects our county governmental departments. From the health department, to the housing office, from the school system, to the library. It is all interconnected from a budget standpoint. As noted in the County Manager's recommended budget, a proposed 3.75 cent increase in the property tax rate will help us shore up the safety net here at home and make sure our children are not short-changed with regard to their education in our schools.

While I recognize that a tax rate of .6758 per $100 in value is experienced as high for many, the rate is at its lowest in decades AND I promise to always work to keep it low. But remember, it takes 4 votes for me to get anything passed.

Where We Are in the Process

County Manager Travis Myren brought forward a thoughtful budget proposal built around six priorities: minimizing the tax rate increase, protecting public safety and the social safety net, supporting our schools, maximizing efficiencies, investing modestly in employee compensation, and aligning with our Strategic Plan. Here is a link to the recommended budget.

The Commissioners then held 2 public hearings about the proposal, one in Hillsborough and one in Chapel Hill. We also held worksessions with each department. And for the first time ever, the manager’s budget team offered sessions for the public to ask detailed questions and get answers.

In addition to the public comments at the hearings, commissioners heard a lot of feedback via email, phone calls, and meetings with constituents. The feedback we got helped us to propose amendments to the recommended budget. Each commissioner is acting in good faith based on what they prioritize. But, we have some differences and those differences show up in these amendments. Here is a link to the amendments filed so far. What to fund by how much and how to pay for it is the difficult conversation the county government should be having, and we will be having it publicly on June 4th. By the end of the meeting that night, we will have what is called “an intention to adopt.” Again, it takes four votes to get the budget passed.

While there is not enough time right now to get into all the details of what I am working on with my fellow commissioners and the county budget office, I want to share and explain a few highlights.

Funding Public Schools Inside and Outside Orange County

In Orange County, we have two systems: Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools and Orange County Schools. The county has to fund these schools equally. So, when we allocate money to Education, the whole amount is then shared equally by every single student in Orange County who is registered to attend a public school. Therefore, the education operating budget is referred to as “per pupil spending.”

The enrollment in both school systems has been declining, and enrollment in charter schools has been growing. Orange County is home to two top-rated charter schools. Many families have chosen to send their children to charter schools, others have chosen private schools, and some homeschool. School choice has been a blessing to some families. I get that. But from a budgeting standpoint, it gets very complicated. You see, dollars follow students. So while some of our county funds are going to charter schools in our county, some of it is not. The per pupil money follows students to charter schools which the State classifies as public schools including those outside Orange County. It does not follow students to private schools or homeschool settings. Yet, the state legislature has diverted millions of education dollars to those schools via "Opportunity Scholarships,” also known as school vouchers.

Our schools continue to strain under the lack of funding from the state, but all of the county commissioners want to do what we can locally to support our students, excellent teachers and staff, and to provide safe and appealing facilities.

Teacher Pay and Local Supplements

The State legislature sets pay scales and step increases for teachers, principals, and assistant principals, and several other (but not all) salaries for folks employed by schools. School systems can then offer “supplemental pay” which is a tool for school systems to attract teachers. Supplements can offset costs of living or help attract candidates to hard-to-fill jobs. As county commissioners, we don’t have a say about the rate of supplemental pay - that is up to the locally elected school boards. So, if the state raises teacher pay by 5%, the cost of supplements goes up too because supplements are calculated as a percentage of base salary. When base salaries rise, the dollar amount of every supplement rises with them. So, changes in teacher pay scales directly affect our local budgets.

The BOCC is committed to fully funding what our school board members have requested for a continuation budget. What I am working through now is how to pay for it responsibly. Myself and the other commissioners are now proposing amendments to fund our schools against the real burden a tax increase places on many residents. And, it takes four votes to pass an amendment.

Housing

Housing affordability is one of the most urgent challenges facing our community, and it is an area where I have been actively advocating in this budget process. My intention is to find ways to make sure county employees can actually afford to live here. I respect the work that was put into bringing the recommended budget forward. The Manager's budget includes a 2% wage increase for all county employees. It is important to note that inflation is running at 3.8%. That is why Commissioner Carter and I are co-sponsoring an amendment to raise that wage increase to 3%. Another amendment I am co-sponsoring with Commissioners McKee and Carter is “Choose Orange,” a workforce housing pilot program for county frontline employees. Our amendment would direct the County Manager to study a pilot program and return to the Board with a plan. This kind of program is already working in Chatham County and the Town of Chapel Hill. I truly believe Orange County employees deserve the opportunity to live in the community they serve.

Tax Revenue Projections and Getting Assessments Right

The county has hired GAR, a tax valuation consulting firm, to conduct an independent review of our entire assessment process — from how property values are determined, to staffing levels, data quality, the appeal process, and how well we communicate with the public. Some have asked why we needed a consultant when the Tax Justice Coalition already identified the problem. It's a fair question. The Coalition's advocacy was essential — it brought this issue before the Board with urgency and moral clarity. But building a fix that lasts requires independent technical analysis — and that's what GAR is here to provide.

Critically, they have been specifically directed to examine commercial and high-value property assessments to determine whether those properties are carrying their fair share of the tax burden. The FY2026-27 budget includes a $250,000 reserve to fund the staffing and operational changes that come directly from their recommendations.

The community has been clear: luxury apartment complexes and investor-owned properties are being undervalued, shifting the tax burden onto homeowners — and disproportionately onto longtime residents in historically Black neighborhoods. That is not acceptable, and we are working to address the problem.

My Priorities and Promises

In my campaign in 2024, I focused on education, housing, and mental health. I promised to partner with the community to “Build a Better Tomorrow” for Orange County. I hope you can see that I continue to keep that goal in mind as my north star as I go through this trying budget season. I know that this community is strong, and that many (even if some more than others) are bearing the brunt of the chaos in our economy and unfairness of the tax structure and shortcomings at the state and federal levels. I am holding all this as I consider how to make Orange County a place for everyone.

Thank you for trusting me with this solemn responsibility, and as always, reach out if you have questions or concerns.

Yours in service,

On a personal note, my son graduated from UNC-Charlotte on May 9th. As a family, we were bursting with pride and joy.

Just one week later, my family suffered a tragic loss. As always, my faith helps me find balance amidst the joy and sadness. Please let this be a reminder that life is precious.

On May 25th, Commissioner Marilyn Carter and I attended the Memorial Day address at the Veteran’s Memorial in Chapel Hill.