City Connect: Approved Budget, July Fourth Events, & a $12M Transit Grant

A WORD FROM WANDA

Approved Budget Supports Employee Compensation, Community Programs, and Infrastructure Improvements

The City Council has unanimously approved our operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year beginning in July, and I wanted to take a few moments to highlight what excites us about this new budget.

Employee Pay

We know that to best serve our residents, we need a dedicated team of professionals who we rely on every day. And paying this team a fair wage that aligns with current market rates has been a top priority for my administration because we see the impact this team has on our community.

After conducting a market study, we are now ready to implement employee pay changes that will see increases across our pay plans. We are also raising our minimum livable wage for City employees to $19.58 per hour or $40,726 per year.

Community Programs

This budget includes continued support for critical programs in our community:

• Durham County Low-Income Homeowners Relief Program
• Fare-free GoDurham buses
• Durham Expunction and Restoration (DEAR) Program
• Guaranteed Income Program
• Hayti Reborn Justice Movement
• Immigrant Legal Defense Fund

The budget also has funding for a new Office on Survivor Care and a new Summer Camp Grant Fund.

Infrastructure Improvements

We are investing millions of dollars into our community's infrastructure - from water and sewer system improvements to improved neighborhood bike routes to our ongoing street and sidewalk maintenance programs.

Tax Increase

While we are excited to move these critical projects forward, I also did want to acknowledge that the property tax rate for City residents will be going up by 3.85 cents to fund this work. That brings the current property tax rate for City residents to 59.62 cents per $100 of property value.

That means that a home valued at $254,421 - the median home tax value, according to the Durham County Office of Tax Administration - will have a City property tax bill of roughly $1,517.

We know that this tax rate increase will have an impact on all of our community members, and we did not make this decision lightly. If you or someone you know may need assistance with the increase in property taxes, please review the Durham Low-Income Homeowners Relief Program information available on the Durham County website.

Until next time,
Wanda

- City Manager Wanda Page

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