Council Quickies: A Look at the Proposed FY2027 Budget

City Manager Marcus Jones presented his proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget on Monday evening. The presentation lasted only about 40 minutes before council members were issued copies of the proposed budget to study on their own time.

Council members will get a chance to discuss further following a public hearing on the proposed budget scheduled for May 11. Council will also consider a resolution regarding the I-77 toll lane project and hear a presentation on data centers during that meeting.

Marcus Jones’ proposed $4.5-billion FY 2027 budget would implement a $1.89 property tax increase, the revenue from which will be dedicated entirely to public safety. 

The tax increase would be the first in Charlotte since 2024 with an estimated impact of about $5.71 per month for the “typical” homeowner, which is based on Charlotte’s median home price ($359,700).

Public safety

The budget includes a 10% pay raise for CMPD officers up to sergeants and a 7% salary increase for sworn firefighters through the rank of captain.

The proposed $85-million public safety investment would also include an additional 35 take-home vehicles for CMOD and $1.1 million to fund the deployment and integration of in-car dash cameras with the existing body-worn camera system over three years. 

It would also fund new civilian support and technician jobs (training specialist and fire equipment technician) within the Charlotte Fire Department, the replacement of six fire engines and three ladder trucks, and $4 million for replacing firefighters’ personal protective equipment.  

The proposed budget would provide $500,000 to support youth internships, run by the city’s Office of Youth Opportunities, formed in 2025 to better integrate the work being done by different city agencies such as Alternatives to Violence (Housing & Neighborhood Services), Peer Mediation (Community Relations), and Juvenile Diversion (CMPD).

The funding would add 250 paid work experiences for youth between ages 16-18, access to paid summer
internships, pre-employment training and exposure to professional workplaces.

The proposed budget also includes $750,000 to extend support for the Alternatives to Violence program operating along the Beatties Ford Road corridor while a long-term sustainability plan is developed.

Housing

The proposed budget includes a $125-million housing bond — a $100-million allotment for the Housing Trust Fund plus a $25-million one-time increase to support anti-displacement efforts.

The $25-million anti-displacement infusion would support staying-in-place initiatives, especially in response to community concerns involving displacement due to future mobility projects like the Red Line. 

The additional funding could include land acquisition in transit-oriented development areas or acquisition of naturally occurring affordable housing along transit corridors.

Transportation

The proposed 2026 General Obligation Bond includes $100 million to advance seven large-scale multimodal transportation projects across the city: “Complete Street” improvements on Dearmon Road, Shamrock Drive, Robinson Church Road, and Brown Grier Road; the Ashley/Freedom/Tuckaseegee intersection, the Eastway Drive/Shamrock Drive intersection; and building out the Bryant Farms Road extension.

The proposed 2026 Transportation and Neighborhood bonds include $60 million for Strategic Investment Areas, ($5 million increase over the 2024 bonds) dedicated to targeted and strategic resurfacing projects; $22 million for Vision Zero ($2 million increase) to support traffic and pedestrian signal projects; $10 million for cycling infrastructure ($2 million increase); $50 million for sidewalks; $24 million for street resurfacing, and $2 million to launch a new orphan roads program. 

Near the end of Monday night’s presentation, Jones informed council that the newly formed Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority won’t be quite ready to take over operation of CATS on July 1 as originally planned. He proposed pushing the transfer of that authority from the city to MPTA on Jan. 1, 2027.

Other notable items

Jones is proposing that the city raise the minimum wage for its full-time employees from $24 per hour to $25 per hour. Hourly employees would also receive a 4% pay raise.

Animal Care & Control, recently removed from operating as a sub-item under CMPD’s budget, would receive $12 million in the coming year, with another $10.5 million slotted in the Capital Investment Plan to complete design and construction of AC&C’s new shelter facility.  

About $500,000 of the AC&C allotment would fund an additional veterinarian, a foster coordinator, and a volunteer coordinator. 

Read the full proposed FY2027 budget here.