Durham city manager Wanda Page will present her recommendations for the City of Durham’s 2024-2025 fiscal year budget at the city council’s regular meeting this evening. While it’s not the final budget, the manager’s presentation will be a good indication of what the council’s priorities are going into the next year. Big considerations loom over the budget discussion. How will the city address its public safety challenges? Will city workers get the raises they’ve been fighting for?
Here are five things for you to keep an eye on going into tonight’s presentation.
Will the city continue its large investments in transportation infrastructure?
Pressure from the bicycle and pedestrian community last year led the city council to include a Vision Zero Coordinator position in the 2023-2024 budget. The position was part of a large investment in transportation that included more bus shelters and bike lanes. Now, the bike-ped community has bolder ambitions. Advocates are asking the city to invest in substantial capital improvement projects including completing Durham’s sidewalk network, converting Roxboro Street and Mangum Street to two-way streets (with help from the state government), and keeping the local GoDurham buses fare-free.
Will city workers get the raises they’ve been fighting for?
Durham city workers have been fighting for stronger compensation dating back to last year’s tumultuous budget cycle. One-time bonuses were doled out to city employees in October, but workers remain steadfast in their goal to get permanent raises on the books, citing the evermore burdensome cost of living in the area during public hearings and public demonstrations. Durham County prioritized employee pay in the county manager’s recent budget proposal which puts even more pressure on the city council to invest in its employee base. Of the major considerations during tonight’s discussion, this seems like the highest priority.
How will the city respond to gun violence and other public safety issues?
Recent spikes in gun violence have ripped through the Durham community and centered public safety as a preeminent issue for city staff. In March, the city council voted not to renew its contract with SoundThinking, owners of the ShotSpotter gunfire detection technology. Residents pushed the city council to invest in alternative public safety methods such as the Holistic Empathetic Assistive Response Team (HEART) and an Office of Survivor Care. These programs are part of the city’s holistic approach to public safety, but it is unclear if they are designed to address the immediate challenges that guns on the streets present. How can the city redirect funds intended for the ShotSpotter program into effective tools that tackle the pressing issue of gun violence while meeting the other requests from residents?
Small business owners say they’re still struggling post-pandemic. What investments will the city make to help small businesses thrive?
Business owners say they are still rebounding from the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. More people are working from home, hurting foot traffic, and the effects of inflation have forced employers to raise their prices and increase payroll to support their staff. Parking, disruptive construction projects, and public safety are also issues business owners cite as barriers to recapturing pre-pandemic numbers. Funds from the American Rescue Plan Act helped prop up businesses during lockdown, but they are all but depleted so the city will have to find new ways to support the local economy. Mayor Leonardo Williams, a small business owner himself, has publicly voiced concern about the conditions for Durham’s small businesses, though it’s unclear what specific measures the city will take to attract residents back to the city’s major commercial districts.
Will the city raise taxes?
This question has been a mainstay as Durham’s growing population has greatly increased its service needs in recent years. The prospect of raising taxes was addressed when the new city council first took office last December. At the time, no council members committed to a tax increase but with mounting project needs and a limited set of tools to raise revenue, pushing off a tax increase seems untenable. Mayor Williams has made an effort to bring in more funding through private-public partnerships and federal grant programs but can those funding sources support long-term sustainability for the city’s new initiatives?
The city council will host its second public hearing on June 3 before taking a final vote on the budget on June 17.
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