Holly Springs manager proposes $139 million budget, keeps tax rate steady

Holly Springs homeowners would not face a property tax rate increase under Town Manager Randy Harrington’s recommended $139 million budget, a plan the town says would keep the rate among the lowest in Wake County while paying for faster-growing services and projects residents are likely to notice.

Harrington presented the fiscal year 2026-2027 proposal to the Holly Springs Town Council at its Tuesday, May 12 meeting. The spending plan centers on traffic and mobility, parks and facilities, growth management and environmental protection, the same broad themes residents flagged in the town’s recent community survey.

That survey gives the budget its clearest test. Conducted by ETC Institute in fall 2025, the statistically valid poll found 95% of respondents said Holly Springs is an excellent or good place to live, and 94% rated it an excellent or good place to raise children. At the same time, residents identified traffic and growth management as top concerns, and the budget directs money toward both.

For households, the most immediate change is what will not happen: the town said there is no property tax rate increase in the proposal. Holly Springs said that keeps the town’s rate one of the lowest in Wake County, a key selling point as property values and growth continue to climb across southwest Wake.

The plan also reaches into day-to-day life through transportation and recreation. The Holly Springs Hopper microtransit service would expand its hours, a move aimed at giving residents more flexible rides around town. Budget materials also point to a new 56-acre park expected to open in late 2027, with a recreational center, splash pad, all-wheels park, greenway and lighted courts and fields. In anticipation of that park opening, the town recommended seven new positions.

Capital work in the budget would be visible along roads and at public safety sites as well. The town’s fiscal 2026-2027 budget infographic lists construction on Holly Springs Road from Flint Point Lane to Main Street, along with design work for a new fire station on Rex Road.

The manager’s proposal also reflects a larger question for a town growing as fast as Holly Springs: whether services can keep pace with new neighborhoods without pushing more of the bill onto residents. On that count, the budget answer is mixed but clear. The tax rate stays flat, while the town leans on survey-backed priorities to justify investments in mobility, parks, growth management and environmental protection ahead of final council action.