Wake County Budget: Revenue, Spending, and Full Adoption Process

---

Table of Contents#

1. Key Background: What Is the Wake County Budget?
2. Wake County Revenue Sources: Where Does the Money Come From?
3. Wake County Spending Priorities: Where Do Public Funds Go?
4. Step-by-Step Wake County Budget Adoption Process
5. How Residents Can Participate in the Budget Process
6. Frequently Asked Questions
7. References

---

Key Background: What Is the Wake County Budget?#

The Wake County budget is a legally binding financial plan for each fiscal year, which runs from July 1 to June 30. It is split into two core components:

• Operating Budget ($1.2 billion in 2024): Covers recurring, day-to-day costs for county services, including employee salaries, supply purchases, and routine maintenance.
• Capital Budget ($770 million in 2024): Funds one-time, long-term infrastructure and asset investments, such as new school construction, road widening, affordable housing development, and park upgrades.

All budget documents are required to be publicly accessible per North Carolina state law, and the county publishes annual independent audits to verify compliance with spending rules.

---

Wake County Revenue Sources: Where Does the Money Come From?#

Wake County’s operating revenue comes from four primary sources:

1. Property Taxes (45% of total operating revenue)#

Property taxes are the single largest source of county funding. For 2024, the county property tax rate is 60.1 cents per $100 of assessed property value, meaning a home valued at$400,000 pays $2,404 in annual county property taxes. Wake County has one of the lowest county property tax rates among large urban counties in North Carolina.

2. State and Federal Grants (30% of total operating revenue)#

These funds are allocated by state and federal governments for mandated or priority programs, including:

• K-12 public education funding
• Medicaid and public health program support
• Transportation and infrastructure grants
• Affordable housing and food assistance program funding

3. User Fees and Service Charges (15% of total operating revenue)#

Fees are charged for specific county services to offset costs, including:

• Building and zoning permit fees
• Landfill and waste disposal fees
• Public health clinic service fees
• Park rental and program admission fees
• Court and administrative fees

4. Other Revenue (10% of total operating revenue)#

This category includes local sales tax allocations, investment income, fines and forfeitures, and payments from municipal governments for county-provided services.

---

Wake County Spending Priorities: Where Do Public Funds Go?#

More than 85% of Wake County’s operating budget is allocated to three core public service areas:

1. Public Education (55% of operating budget)#

Education is the county’s largest spending priority, with funds going to:

• Wake County Public School System (the 14th largest public school district in the U.S.)
• Wake Technical Community College
• Early childhood education and pre-K programs
• Teacher and staff salary increases (the 2024 budget included a 4% pay raise for all public school staff)

2. Public Safety (18% of operating budget)#

Funds support emergency and public safety services for all county residents, including:

• Wake County Sheriff’s Office patrol and detention services for unincorporated areas
• County-wide 911 dispatch and emergency management services
• EMS and ambulance response teams
• Fire service support for rural and unincorporated communities

3. Health and Human Services (15% of operating budget)#

This allocation funds safety net and support programs for vulnerable residents, including:

• Medicaid administration and public health clinics
• Child protective services and foster care programs
• Senior meal and support services
• Affordable housing and homelessness prevention initiatives

4. General Government and Infrastructure (12% of operating budget)#

Remaining funds cover road maintenance, park operations, county administration, waste management, and land use planning services. The 2024 capital budget also set aside $250 million for new school construction,$120 million for road upgrades, and $80 million for affordable housing development.

---

Step-by-Step Wake County Budget Adoption Process#

The budget adoption process follows mandatory timelines set by North Carolina state law, and takes approximately 6 months to complete:

Step 1: Needs Assessment and Strategic Planning (January – April)#

The county manager works with department heads to collect service needs, population growth projections, and funding requests from all county agencies. Staff also review feedback from the previous year’s budget process and align requests with the county’s long-term strategic plan.

Step 2: Proposed Budget Release (Mid-May)#

The county manager publishes a full proposed budget, including a recommended tax rate, spending priorities, and a plain-language summary for residents. The full document is posted publicly on the Wake County website for review.

Step 3: Public Hearings and Stakeholder Feedback (Late May – Early June)#

The county holds at least two public hearings (one during standard business hours and one evening hearing for working residents) to collect input from the public. Additional community input sessions are held in locations across the county (including Cary, Apex, and Wake Forest) to ensure accessibility for all residents.

Step 4: Board of Commissioners Deliberations (Mid-June)#

The 7-member elected Wake County Board of Commissioners reviews the proposed budget line-by-line, debates amendments, and adjusts the tax rate or spending allocations based on public feedback and policy priorities.

Step 5: Final Adoption (By June 30)#

State law requires the board to adopt a final budget by June 30, the last day of the current fiscal year. A majority vote (4 out of 7 commissioners) is required for approval. If no budget is passed by the deadline, the board passes a temporary continuing resolution to fund services at the previous year’s level until a final agreement is reached.

Step 6: Implementation and Accountability (July 1 onwards)#

Departments begin allocating funds per the adopted budget. The county publishes quarterly financial reports for public review, and an independent third-party audit is completed at the end of the fiscal year to verify compliant spending.

---

How Residents Can Participate in the Budget Process#

Wake County offers multiple ways for residents to weigh in on spending priorities:

1. Review the plain-language proposed budget summary on the Wake County Finance Department website to understand proposed spending and tax changes
2. Register to speak at a public hearing (you can sign up online up to 24 hours in advance, or in person the day of the hearing, and get 3 minutes to share feedback)
3. Submit written feedback via email to the Board of Commissioners, or use the dedicated online budget feedback form
4. Attend local district budget sessions hosted by your elected county commissioner
5. Watch live or archived budget meetings on the Wake County YouTube channel to stay updated on deliberations

---

Frequently Asked Questions#

Q: When does the Wake County fiscal year run?#

A: July 1 to June 30 each year.

Q: How often is the property tax rate adjusted?#

A: The board reviews the rate annually as part of the budget process, and a mandatory adjustment is completed every 4 years following the county-wide property revaluation.

Q: Where can I find past and current adopted budgets?#

A: All budget documents dating back to 2007 are posted for free public access on the Wake County Finance Department website.

Q: What if I disagree with a proposed spending allocation?#

A: You can share feedback during public hearings, submit written comments to the Board of Commissioners, or contact your district representative directly to share your concerns.

---

References#

1. Wake County Government Finance Department. (2024). 2024 Adopted Budget Document. Retrieved from https://www.wakegov.com/departments/finance/budget
2. North Carolina General Statutes. § 159-13: County Budget Adoption Requirements. Retrieved from https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_159/GS_159-13.html
3. Wake County Board of Commissioners. (2023). Budget Meeting Archives. Retrieved from https://www.wakegov.com/government/board-of-commissioners/meetings
4. Wake County Office of Management and Budget. (2023). Resident Budget Guide. Retrieved from https://www.wakegov.com/departments/finance/budget/budget-guides