Alamance County hearing draws sharp split over budget tax hike

A $289,000 Alamance County home would pay about $65 more a year if commissioners adopt County Manager Heidi York’s 2026-27 budget, a 2.25-cent tax hike that turned Monday night’s hearing at the Historic Courthouse into a referendum on school funding versus taxpayer relief.

The public hearing lasted about 1.5 hours and drew roughly three dozen speakers, with residents sharply divided between those urging more money for the Alamance-Burlington School System and those saying property taxes should not rise again. York’s proposal would raise the county rate from 49.4 cents to 51.65 cents per $100 of assessed value, the third straight year of a county property-tax increase, and county budget materials say it would bring in about $6.2 million in new revenue.

York’s recommended general fund totals $239.1 million and trims overall spending by about 1.2 percent. County officials say the added revenue is meant to help stabilize finances amid lower state and federal support, reduced use of fund balance, and other pressures on county services.

The school system’s request sits at the center of the fight. ABSS asked for $88.1 million in county funding for fiscal year 2026-27, about $16.6 million more than the prior year and more than a 23 percent increase. That request includes $62.8 million for current expenses, $7 million for routine capital outlay, $13.9 million for capital improvement projects and $4.4 million for technology, covering items such as roof and HVAC work, security cameras, weapons detection systems, paving and planning for a new school area in Mebane.

Under York’s proposal, ABSS current expense funding would be $58.7 million, about $4 million below the district’s request. Superintendent Aaron Fleming has said that gap would likely force the district to consider cuts, especially with the existing teacher supplement and charter-school obligations already built into the budget. Fleming also has pointed to gym air-conditioning gaps and other security and infrastructure needs across Alamance County schools.

The budget clash comes after commissioners adopted a 3-2 budget in June 2025 that raised the tax rate by 2.5 cents, from 46.9 cents to 49.4 cents, and used about $11 million in county savings to bolster schools and other priorities. Opponents at Monday’s hearing also cited the county’s 2023 revaluation as a reason to resist another increase.

A recent county survey found 78 percent of respondents ranked school funding as their top budget priority, but just under half supported the 2.25-cent hike. Alamance voters have also rejected a quarter-cent sales tax proposal multiple times, leaving county property taxes as the main lever for school and service funding. Commissioners, including Tony Messer, Greg Hook, Sandy Ellington-Graves, Steve Carter, Kelly Allen and Pam Thompson, are expected to vote within two weeks, with state law requiring adoption by the end of June.