Wake County leaders approve $2.1 billion budget with increased WCPSS school funding
Wake County public schools will get more money in local funding, and many homeowners can expect higher property tax bills after this year’s property revaluation.
Wake County leaders are increasing the property tax, as recommended in the county manager’s budget, to provide $58.3 million in additional local funding to the Wake County Public School System.
But that falls short of the $63.2 million in additional funding that Wake County school board members said they needed.
The Wake County Board of Commissioners approved the budget unanimously Monday evening. Wake County Commissioner Vickie Adamson was excused and absent from the meeting.
This budget debate “felt more painstaking” than debates in recent years, said Wake County Vice Chair Susan Evans. Inflation, continued population growth that relies on county services and housing costs all contributed to a difficult budget year, she said.
“Our high housing prices just keep going up and up,” she said. “And that’s as much a function of growth, and the problem with supply and demand that we currently have with housing. And everyone knows we had a property revaluation this year and experienced the sticker shock from that. It is real, unprecedented increases in housing values in the last four years.”
Commissioners did consider cuts to the budget, said Wake County Commissioner Shinica Thomas, but the budget “only had essential things.”
“So we thought about things like public safety,” she said. “Do we not put as many ambulances on the road? But we’re already short ambulances.
“We thought about cutting housing, but we heard the community say that that is one of their most pressing concerns. And we know that it’s one of the county’s most pressing needs.”
Fast budget facts
- The $2.1 billion budget is a 10.7% increase over the current year’s budget.
- The approved property tax rate is 51.35 cents per $100 of assessed property value, or 0.3 cents over the county manager’s proposal. That’s higher than the rate Wake County would have needed to set at 46.36 cents per $100 to maintain the same level of revenue.
- The current property tax rate is 65.7 cents per $100.
- The budget includes money for 10 new ambulances, 16 additional law enforcement officers and seven new positions in child welfare programs.
- The budget adds $4.5 million to the county’s affordable housing efforts and adds staff to open Beech Bluff County Park and Kellam-Wyatt County Park.
- The new budget is effective July 1.
How much will taxes go up?
Despite the property tax rate going down, it’s likely many will see a higher property tax bill.
A home valued at $462,000 would receive a county tax bill of $2,372.37 this year, under the passed budget.
But whether that is an increase compared to previous years depends on how much a home’s assessed value went up in the most recent revaluation.
For example, if a Wake County home was valued at $306,500 in 2020, and compared the current tax rate to the new tax rate, this is how the tax bill would change:
- If the home went up 25% in value, the homeowner would see a decrease of $46.36 on their county tax bill under the approved budget.
- If the home went up 50% in value, a homeowner would see an increase of $347.11 on their tax bill.
- And if the home went up 75% in value, they would see an increase of $741 on their tax bill.
People can determine their county property tax bill by dividing the value of their home by 100 and multiplying that number by 0.5135.
WCPSS funding
The Wake County Public School System will get $58.3 million in local funding, or a 9% increase, over the current budget.
That meets the request made by WCPSS Superintendent Robert Taylor, but falls short of $63.2 million that the school board requested.
The school board’s request would fund 4% raises, institute a $17.75-per hour minimum wage for “non-certified staff” and a $20-per hour minimum wage for bus drivers.
School Board Chair Chris Haggerty attended the meeting and said afterward that the budget represented the largest local increase in at least 10 years. He said he appreciated the support and it’s the third year in a row that Wake commissioners have added $50 million or more in local funding to the school system, he said.
“We couldn’t maintain the quality public schools in Wake County without this essential partnership with the Wake County Commission,” he said. “And, like Chair Thomas said, we truly make the county better together. Now, the bad news is that despite the significant and impactful commitment to public education, the funding needs for the schools won’t be met.”
The school system is losing federal COVID-19 relief money, and some programs and services will have to be cut, he said. That will be decided as a school board, but the board is committed to “prioritizing the better compensation for our staff.”
Blame on state leaders
Several WCPSS teachers and employees rallied during the county’s budget public hearings, calling on the elected leaders to fully fund the school board’s request.
School employees should be paid “livable, comparable wages” to those of county workers, said Christina Spears, president of the Wake chapter of the North Carolina Association of Educators.
Many placed blame on the North Carolina General Assembly for not providing enough funding for local schools, but asked local leaders to make up the difference.
“We understand that the state has failed to fulfill its constitutional obligation to fully fund the public educational system instead choosing to invest in private school vouchers with little-to-no-income limit nor oversight and in charter schools with limited oversight,” said Teresa Jones, president of the Wake PTA Council. “But the Wake County Commission is uniquely positioned to ensure that all children within its borders do not suffer from the legislature’s failure to invest in them.”
Evans, a former school board member, said Wake County shouldn’t have to fill in the gaps that the state has left.
“We do what we can,” she said. “But it’s not fair that our taxpayers and Wake County have to continue to pay increased property taxes because the state is not doing what their statutory responsibility is for our public schools.”
This story was originally published June 3, 2024 at 6:52 PM.
CORRECTION: This article was corrected to update the property tax value increases for a homeowner.
