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.