Durham County Weighs Tax Hike for Schools

The Durham County Board of Commissioners hears a sobering update on slowing revenue growth as the county manager recommends a two-cent property tax rate increase to sustain funding for Durham Public Schools, expand pre-K, and cover rising mandated service and employee costs. The board also reviews how local school funding has grown in recent years and the limits of doing more without recurring tax hikes or service cuts. 7mins

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Original Meeting

Monday, May 11th, 2026
7387.802
Board of County Commissioners on 2026-05-11 7:00 PM - Regular Session
Full Meeting on Granicus
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Jason deBruyn is the WUNC News digital editor
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In This Video
  • Manager Hager outlined slowing natural revenue growth and proposed a two-cent property tax rate increase to fund Durham Public Schools, pre-K support, and mandated services like EMS.
  • Manager Hager recommended increased funding for Durham Public Schools and pre-K, along with employee pay and benefit enhancements, and explained that these commitments exceeded natural revenue growth and relied on a two-cent property tax rate increase.
  • Manager Hager detailed sustained increases in county funding and per-pupil support for Durham Public Schools, while cautioning that further expansions would require cutting other services or raising property taxes annually.
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