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Charlotte leaders unanimously adopt FY26 budget, effective July 1
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — In a unanimous vote, the Charlotte City Council adopted the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget and the 2030 Capital Investment Plan at Monday's council meeting.
The $3.6 million balanced budget does not increase property taxes, maintaining the lowest tax rates among North Carolina largest cities.
It also raises the minimum pay for full-time city employees to $50,000 or $24 per hour. The budget funds a 4% pay increase for general hourly employees and funding assistance for employees wanting to continue their education or experiencing hardship.
'This budget includes a way to not only help our employees but also to help continue helping the community,' said Councilwoman LaWana Mayfield.
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Another major aspect of the budget is the $30 million over the next four years for a satellite Animal Care and Control adoption facility. In addition, the budget aligns the ACC from under the police department to the General Services Department, allowing for more direct benefits from the administration and operations of the department.
The budget also allocates more than $1.8 million in funding to support urgent home repair, affordable housing placement and high-quality naturally occurring affordable housing.
Other key takeaways from the budget include launching a four-year plan to improve Solid Waste Services' cost recovery by splitting the Solid Fee into two fees, residential curbside and residential dumpster as well as creating a $1.5 million Small Business Readiness Fund and establishing the Office of Youth Opportunities for promoting economic opportunities for ages 13-24.
The fiscal year begins on July 1.
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