Wayne County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Wayne County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Property Tax Collections and Tax Administrator Appointment
The county launched an online property tax simulator on its website to help residents understand property tax calculations and see how tax dollars are distributed across services.
FY 2026-2027 General Liability Insurance Renewal
The county evaluated its commercial property and casualty insurance renewals between the NCACC pool and Travelers Insurance. Following recommendations from RiskVersity, the board chose Travelers Option 2, providing $7 million in coverage while saving the county about $90,000.
Fiscal Year 2026-2027 County Budget
The county manager presented the $291.2 million proposed budget, which maintains the current property tax rate of 62.59 cents while addressing inflation, rising healthcare costs, and employee compensation.
State Mandated County Costs
A comprehensive report highlighted that state and federal mandates consume nearly all county tax revenues, leaving very little discretionary spending power for local leaders.
FY 2026-2027 County Recommended Budget
County Manager Chip Crumpler unveiled a $291.2 million recommended budget for the upcoming fiscal year that maintains the current property tax rate of $0.6259. The spending plan uses $5.5 million in fund balance reserves, funds 11 new positions mostly in EMS, and provides employee salary adjustments.
FY26-27 County Health Insurance Coverage
The board discussed whether to pass an 8% health insurance cost increase onto employees or absorb it through the county budget. Commissioners ultimately voted to fully fund the increase, protecting employees from extra monthly fees.
Early Voting Length and Election Practices
Several commissioners want the state to shorten early voting and address electioneering outside polling places, citing stress on candidates and voters.
Property Tax Transparency Tool
A new simulator on the county website shows exactly how your property tax dollars are split among sheriff, schools, EMS and more. Commissioners hope it clears up confusion about the tax rate and revaluation.
Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Revised Budget Ordinance
The county revised its budget ordinance format to comply with state financial performance indicators, rolling detailed line items into functional department categories without changing overall spending or tax rates.
Budget Ordinance Restructuring and LGC Compliance
State auditors flagged the county for overspending at the object line-item level. The fix: switch to department-level budgeting next year. Commissioners debated whether the state's approach hurts transparency.
FY 2024-2025 County Audit Presentation
The county's independent auditor presented the 2024-2025 financial audit, which received an unmodified, clean opinion with no internal control or federal program findings.