Durham City Council Approves Budget Investing in Community Safety, Employees, Services, and Infrastructure
DURHAM, N.C. – Durham City Council has approved the new budget for the 2025–2026 fiscal year. The $772 million plan includes a property tax increase to help pay for community safety programs, fair employee pay, better services, and long-term projects like parks, roads, and water systems.
What’s in the Budget
The total budget is about 8% higher than last year. That increase is mainly due to:
- Expanding community safety programs
- Keeping up with service needs as the city grows
- Continuing competitive pay for City employees
- Paying for voter-approved bond projects to improve parks, streets, and sidewalks
New Property Tax Rate
The new property tax rate is 43.71 cents for every $100 of assessed value. That’s an increase of 5.48 cents over the revenue-neutral rate of 38.23 cents.
For a home valued at $415,000—Durham’s median home value—the new City property tax bill will be about $1,814 per year.
Budget Priorities
Community Safety
- Adds 17 full-time staff for the Community Safety Department’s HEART response team
- Supports the Durham Expunction and Restoration (DEAR) Program, which helps residents remove past criminal charges and restore driver’s licenses
- Funds the Eviction Diversion Program to help low-income renters stay in their homes
Employee Support
- Increases pay to stay competitive with the market
- Raises the minimum livable wage for City workers from $19.58 to $21.90 per hour
Service Delivery
- Keeps GoDurham buses fare-free through June 2026
- Invests $17 million in expanding bus service
- Sets aside $500,000 for Vision Zero safety work to reduce deadly crashes
Infrastructure
The City’s Capital Improvement Plan includes $537.6 million for more than 70 projects. Key projects include:
- $25.7 million for stormwater improvements and flood reduction, including the South Ellerbe Restoration
- $315.7 million for water and sewer system upgrades, including work on the Jordan Lake Water Treatment Plant
- Modest increases in water and sewer bills, approved in May, will help pay for these improvements
Parks
- Adds $7 million for lead soil cleanup at five parks (East Durham, East End, Lyon, Northgate, Walltown), for a total of $12 million
- Adds six staff and nearly $400,000 for park maintenance
- Funds major Connect Durham bond projects, including:
- A new $43 million aquatic center at Merrick-Moore Park
- A new $42 million project to connect Long Meadow and East End parks
Streets and Sidewalks
Thanks to the $115 million Connect Durham bond approved by voters last fall, more funding is now available to improve streets and sidewalks. This budget includes:
- $25 million for street repaving (up from $15 million last year)
- $10 million for sidewalk repairs (up from $2 million last year)
- Additional investments:
- $1.2 million to complete the two-way conversion design for North Mangum and North Roxboro streets
- $1.5 million for new traffic signals
- $1.3 million for safer school zones and trail crossings
- $875,500 for pedestrian signal upgrades
- $348,000+ for neighborhood bike routes
- $200,000 for bike/pedestrian improvements on Carpenter-Fletcher Road
To learn more about the approved budget, visit the City’s Budget and Management Services Department webpage.