Durham County commissioners confronted their most significant budget crisis in years, facing demands from Durham Public Schools that would require raising property taxes by 4.8 to 4.9 cents per $100 of valuation—the largest tax increase in county history.
The schools requested a $27.7 million budget increase, but the county manager recommended only $12.95 million. The core issue: DPS implemented a classified staff salary study so poorly last year that it now needs an additional $8.8 million just to complete the work. The district allocated $4.5 million from emergency reserves mid-year after inaccurate financial modeling, then took a different approach with an 11 percent across-the-board raise in March. Commissioner Michelle Burton expressed outrage over the mismanagement, stating the school board itself—not county commissioners—bears responsibility for "disenfranchising" teachers through chronic poor planning. Burton also highlighted that while DPS requests compensation money, the district is deferring $25 to $30 million in critical facility repairs, including HVAC fixes, mold removal, and basic appliances. She pointed out that some majority-Black schools have been particularly neglected, including one elementary school that lacked a stove for heating food.
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