Cary’s interim town manager Russ Overton presented his $573.5 million budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2027 to the town council Thursday afternoon.
It includes a 3.75 cent property tax increase, which would bring the tax rate to 37.75 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Overton’s budget proposal prioritizes:
- Public Safety, with a 44% increase to the overall public safety budget, which includes police, fire, and emergency communications.
- Town Staff, by adding 55 new positions, including 20 police officers, 6 emergency communications workers, 6 firefighters, and 7 information technology employees. Plus, a classification and pay study to make sure employee compensation is competitive.
- Infrastructure, with $2.5 million to design two new fire stations, $3.7 million for new sidewalks around town, $9 million to continue the Carpenter Fire Station Road widening project, and $5 million for the GoCary Downtown Multi-Modal Transit Center.
Next steps: Two budget work sessions and public hearings are scheduled for May 28 and June 11. The budget is anticipated to be adopted by the town council on June 25.
Other highlights from the quarterly meeting
- The results of Cary’s 2026 citizen satisfaction survey are in. 400 residents awarded the town an average grade of 8.41 out of 10.
- Residents reported that they trust the Town of Cary “to do the right thing” more than they do the county, state, or federal government.
- The police, fire, and parks departments all received high satisfaction scores.
- 86% of Caryites recommend their town as a place to relocate.
- Cary also completed a staff satisfaction survey in the wake of former town manager Sean Stegall’s resignation.
- Most staff rated their direct supervisors favorably. Feedback about the town manager’s office was more mixed, with over half of staff responding that they do not trust the manager’s office leadership and do not think the manager’s office listens to and acts on employee feedback.
- This is Cary’s first staff satisfaction survey in a decade. Interim town manager Overton and the town council plan to survey staff more regularly from now on.
What do you want to know about local budgets? Share feedback and story ideas at line@theassemblync.com.