Durham Reporter

Durham City Manager Wanda Page presented a $568.9 million budget proposal from City Manager Wanda Page to the Durham City Council at the Monday, May 16, meeting.

She is asking for an approximate 10% increase in funding for City police operations as part of the next fiscal year’s budget proposal, noting that the additional funding is needed to improve services and to retain employees.

“Durham has not been immune to what has been called the great resignation,” Page said in a recent WNCN news report. “It is no secret that there is great concern about violent crime in Durham, like many other cities in America, at the same time there are concerns about the history of policing in our country and the impact on people of color.” 

Her proposed budget calls for a 9.8% increase over last year’s funding, bringing it to $77.1 million. A big chunk of that is so the City can better address public safety concerns.

Approximately $200,000 is being sought for a yearlong pilot of ShotSpotter, a program that detects gunshots and in turn alerts police when shots are fired. The technology is hoped to help the city, which has seen 97 shootings — 17 of which were fatal — so far this year, Durham Police Department statistics have shown.

Page also wants to pay for seven more positions that would be part of an alternative 911 pilot program, the news report said. The program is to begin sometime in June and will include crisis-call diversion, care navigators, and co-response of a police officer and mental health professional.

Because additional funding requires additional revenue, Page is proposing a 0.6 cent property tax rate increase, the report said. She expects that amount to bring in enough to cover her proposed 3% pay raises for City employees.

“To move forward as a city, taking care of city employees must be a high priority,” Page said, adding that she wants to incorporate a system for additional raises too. The City previously had such a plan, but it was canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. on June 6, giving citizens a chance to provide feedback on the budget proposal. A final vote on the plan is scheduled for June 21.