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  • What Can Durham Do with $722 Million?
  • Orange County Budget Falls Short of Schools’ Ask
  • UNC to Restructure Admin Roles
  • New Album from Watchhouse
  • A Juneteenth History Tour on Emancipation

Editor’s Note: We’re closed tomorrow for the Juneteenth holiday, so there won’t be an INDY Daily hitting your inbox. We’ll be back Friday, and in the meantime, let us know what you think about the recent changes we’ve made to this newsletter.

Good morning, readers.

As T.S. Eliot once said, “this is the way the Durham city budget process ends, not with a bang, but a modest round of applause.”

On Monday, the city council put their final stamp of approval on the 2025-26 fiscal year budget with a unanimous vote and without much fanfare. The total budget remains at the city manager’s proposed $722 million, with a new property tax rate of 43.71¢ per $100 of assessed value. 

One of my favorite quotes of the night came from Mayor Pro Tem Mark-Anthony Middleton who said that Durham is only a world-class transportation network that doesn’t prioritize single-occupancy vehicles away from being one of history’s greatest cities.

“Durham, like all great cities throughout history, there’s a threshold we’re going to have to cross in order to be a truly great metropolis, and that threshold is we’re going to have to be able to navigate and negotiate our city without a car.”

Now that’s something we can agree on, councilor. 

Mayor Williams followed up by yearning for more attractive public parks.

“I’m so sick and tired of Cary and Raleigh talking about their nice parks,” Williams said. “I want nice parks, and I don’t want just a new park, I want a nice park but those things are expensive.”

Well, councilors—Durham city residents have provided you with an historically large budget to build this car-free, pristine parks utopia. Let’s see what you can do with $722 million.

—Justin

Read the Full Story on INDYWeek.com

We’re excited to announce the 46th annual Festival for the Eno. Immerse yourself with live music, a juried craft show, food, and fun on the river. Tickets are on sale now. Don’t miss our amazing lineup of musicians headlined by Dom Flemons, Empire Strikes Brass, Dr. Bacon, and Shirlette Ammons!

Learn More

County Budget Falls Short of Schools’ Ask

With a rising tax burden for residents, the budget doesn’t quite meet what Orange County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools said they need to maintain services, INDY’s Chase Pellegrini de Paur reports.

Restructuring Plan Sparks Layoff Fears

The initiative is a response to federal and state funding uncertainties, The Assembly reports.

Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz of Watchhouse. Photo by Jillian Clark.

Watchhouse Pushes Boundaries on New Album

The married duo say that the surface-level warmth of Rituals belies the album’s spirit of experimentation, Nick McGregor writes for the INDY.

If you’d like to advertise your business to The Daily’s 20,000-plus subscribers, please contact [email protected].

ICYMI: Out! Raleigh Pride is coming up this weekend. Jasmine Gallup reports for the INDY on how Raleigh’s queer community is finding new ways to come together amid shake-ups to several mainstays.

STATE: North Carolina will receive about $145 million from OxyContin manufacturer Purdue Pharma as part of a nationwide opioid epidemic settlement, WUNC reports.

RALEIGH: Plans to demolish and redevelop the old DMV site on New Bern Avenue are moving forward, with local residents advocating for affordable housing, WRAL reports.

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  • Tomorrow is Juneteenth. Historic Stagville is offering a free tour focusing on emancipation and the first year of freedom at what was once one of the South’s largest plantations.
  • Tonight is your second to last chance to catch Duke Arts and the Pinhook’s Music Near the Gardens series, with Anjimile and Speed Stick performing. (Read up on the series here.) 
  • Durham County Board of Commissioners Chair Nida Allam did a Reddit AMA, answering questions about the county’s 911 system, lead in local parks, and more.
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