Raleigh Locals Voice Opinions on Proposed Budget Plan

TL/DR –

The City of Raleigh is considering a proposed $1.43 billion budget that includes employee raises, affordable housing funds, and funds for transportation. However, citizens are criticizing the budget for not funding a community response team, a component of an alternative response program for certain 911 calls. The city council will discuss the budget and feedback from the public at a work session on June 10, and could approve the budget at that time.

Raleigh’s $1.43 Billion Budget Proposal Raises Concerns

The City of Raleigh’s proposed $1.43 billion budget has sparked a flurry of feedback. While the city manager focuses on employee raises, affordable housing funds, and transportation investments, public attention is drawn to what’s missing.

Concerns were voiced during a public hearing with the city council, most notably the lack of a full alternative response program for certain 911 calls in the budget.

Although the proposed budget funds three out of four common alternative response components, it fails to allocate resources for a crucial community response team. Raleigh resident Michelle Smith emphasized this oversight, stating, “That’s the part that’s not being funded…that’s the team that sends EMTs, peer support specialists, mental health clinicians, who have the tools to not violently de-escalate.”

City Manager Marchell Adams-David explained that the community response team is a complex project needing collaboration. “We are not in a transporting position, we don’t have paid clinicians on staff…what we did was present three of the four elements that we could stand up right now as a pilot, and then try to continue to work with our partner in Wake County to bring forward the fourth piece,” Adams-David said.

Employee Raises and Remaining Challenges

Significant portions of Raleigh’s proposed budget are dedicated to employee raises, including a 5% raise for first responders and potential additional 5% merit raise. Teamsters Local 391 Vice President Rick Armstrong has praised this, while suggesting that more can still be done.

Raleigh Police Protective Association’s Matthew Cooper supported the budget but pushed for more in the fiscal year 2026, especially the full implementation of salary study recommendations and an increase in top out pay. Cooper said, “The pay study recommendations will support this, and we believe this would mitigate potential issues with compression and leap frogging.”

However, not all employees are content. Maintenance and operations specialists would receive a 6% raise, but some, like Jody Anderson, believe they deserve more. “Workers are getting fed up, and you better vote no because if you don’t we’re gonna remember,” Anderson warned.

The city council will consider this feedback in its work session on June 10, potentially approving the budget at that time.

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