Cary Town Council Adopts FY 2027 Budget After Public Input, Begins Multi-Year Approach to Safety, Maintenance, and Accountability

• Council adopted the $579.6 million FY 2027 budget following months of public input, Council deliberations, and staff planning.
• The budget begins a multi-year approach to address staffing and capital needs while providing greater predictability in property tax rate and fee impacts.
• The budget funds more than $111 million for public safety, including 33 new positions and initial designs for two new western Cary fire stations.

Cary, NC - The Cary Town Council tonight adopted its Fiscal Year 2027 budget, which reflects Council priorities, significant community feedback, and Cary's most essential needs while upholding the Town's commitment to planning, stewardship, and service excellence. The budget year begins on July 1, 2026, and runs through June 30, 2027.

The budget adoption follows months of Council deliberations, staff planning, and public engagement, with public feedback gathered from the Town's first-ever budget open house, advisory board meetings, public hearings, and comments submitted to Cary's 311 center. Residents were invited to share their thoughts during public hearings at the May 28 and June 11 Town Council meetings and to observe Council budget discussions during Council work sessions.

"Council listened carefully to the community throughout this budget process, and I'm thankful to everyone who shared their thoughts with us," said Mayor Harold Weinbrecht. "This budget helps us create predictability as we plan for the future while improving accountability, keeping our town safe, and maintaining the quality of life our residents deserve and expect."

The $579.6 million budget, a 13.4% increase over the FY26 adopted budget, includes $452.2 million for operations and $127.4 million for capital projects, with a focus on public safety, infrastructure maintenance, and stronger financial oversight.

With Council's adoption, the budget now authorizes $111 million for public safety - Cary's largest level of support in this area in decades - including funding 21 police officers, six 911 operators, and six firefighters, plus the initial design of two new fire stations in western Cary.

In addition, the budget directs 54% of capital funding toward maintaining existing parks, streets, sidewalks, and other community amenities, while restoring the budget director and internal auditor and compliance positions to strengthen financial management of public resources.

To support these investments, Cary's property tax rate will increase 2.75 cents to 36.75 cents per $100 of real property value, or about $15 more per month for the average homeowner, while keeping Cary among the lowest property tax rates in Wake County. The solid waste fee will increase $2 to $28 per month, while the utility rate will increase 4% on the base rate, or about $3.08 more per month for the average home.

The adopted budget marks the beginning of a multi-year approach recommended by Interim Town Manager Russ Overton to address rising operational costs, staffing needs, and capital investment priorities while keeping the financial impact on residents as predictable and low as is reasonably possible.

"Staff carefully evaluated the organization's needs for service delivery, identifying and prioritizing what is most critical this year. However, the full scope of what is required exceeds what can be responsibly addressed in a single year," said Overton.

Overton says in order to preserve the safety, cleanliness, services, and quality of life that define Cary, residents should expect continued cost increases in the coming years.

The budget was adopted at the June 25 Town Council meeting, ahead of the June 30 deadline required by North Carolina law for local governments to adopt a balanced budget before the new fiscal year begins July 1. The full budget can be found at carync.gov/budget and residents are encouraged to continue to provide their feedback throughout the year via 311.

Primary Contacts

If you have specific questions, visit carync.gov/311, dial 311 anywhere in Cary, (919) 469-4000 outside Town limits, or email [email protected].

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