Large crowd turns out to question Alamance County budget plan

Hundreds of residents packed the Alamance County Historic Courthouse in Graham to press commissioners over a budget plan that would have raised the property-tax rate by 1.59 cents and added $47.56 to the average homeowner’s bill. County Manager Heidi York said the increase would generate about $2.6 million a year, money at the center of a fight over county services, libraries and how much of the cost should fall on local taxpayers.

The crowd came to object to cuts that could affect sheriff’s office staffing, EMS response, schools, social services, roads and debt service tied to major projects. Library funding also surfaced as a flashpoint, with municipalities potentially left to absorb more of the cost if county support was reduced. For many people in the room, the budget debate was not abstract. It was about whether Alamance County would protect current service levels or shift more of the burden onto homeowners and towns.

York said a PowerPoint slide she showed in May helped spark the backlash by illustrating what would happen if commissioners did not raise the tax rate. The criticism intensified through the budget cycle, which included a commissioners work session on June 10, 2025, before the public hearing and final vote. The board later approved the budget on June 17 after debate over increased taxes.

In later budget talks, commissioners tentatively revised York’s proposal to eliminate the property-tax hike and keep the rate unchanged, using savings, capital transfers and fund balance to close the gap. That shift showed how much pressure the hearing had put on the process, with residents pushing commissioners to defend county spending line by line rather than settle for a simple tax increase. By the end of the debate, the budget fight had become a test of whether the county would raise taxes, trim services, or find another way to pay for both.