RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – Wake County’s Board of Commissioners voted Monday (June 1) to approve$2.28 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2027 which includes a tax hike.
he budget includes a 2-cent property tax increase, which will raise the property tax rate to 53.71 cents and generate an additional $62 million. The owner of a $450,000 home will see a $90 increase in their tax bill. This does not include possible increases that would be approved separately by Wake County’s cities and towns.
County leaders say the budget accounts for rising costs that stem from federal decisions, including the conflict in Iran and tariffs on foreign goods. It also subsidizes areas where state funding continues to fall short.
A press release went on to state that the if 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.
“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,” said Chair Don Mial. “We committed the $8 million in new revenue available in FY2027 to important public safety needs such as reopening the jail annex and adding new EMTs to meet the demands of growth.”
Funding for Food Security
During their deliberations, the board made one addition to County Manager David Ellis’ recommended budget. They approved adding $110,000 to the budget to fund two food security programs:
Double bucks at farmers markets – This program allows market patrons who receive SNAP/EBT benefits to receive additional tokens when they swipe their EBT cards at nine different farmers markets across the county. For example, a patron swiping $10 on their card would receive $20 in tokens, effectively giving them a 50% discount on fresh, North Carolina-grown produce and protein.
Farm to Early Childhood Education – This program delivers customizable boxes of fresh produce, eggs, jams and honey from local farms directly to 15 family childcare homes and four childcare centers in Wake County. The boxes offer easier access to healthy foods for providers who serve a higher proportion of low-income families.
These programs were originally funded using American Recovery Plan Act dollars; however, with ARPA ending in December, they would have gone unsupported without the board’s action today.
Education Funding
The budget includes $25.3 million to fully fund the Wake County Board of Education’s request for the Wake County Public School System. This is in addition to the $743 million the county provided WCPSS in FY2026 for facility maintenance and operations.
$1.8 million to Wake Technical Community College to support facility maintenance, pay IT and administrative staff, and cover rising utility costs. These additional funds are on top of the $42 million the county provided to Wake Tech in FY2026 for building upkeep and operating expenses.
$2 million to Wake County Smart Start to add 50 new seats to Wake ThreeSchool for 3-year-olds while continuing to support Pre-K for 4-year-olds who meet income requirements. These dollars are in addition to the $8 million the county invested in Smart Start in FY2026.
In all, this budget invests $823 million in education for operating expenses. About 65% of that is directly due to a lack of financial support from the state county leaders argue.