Roanoke Rapids council meets Thursday on proposed 4-cent tax hike
Roanoke Rapids NC – City leaders meet Thursday after a public hearing on a proposed budget that would raise the tax rate to 68.1 cents and draw reserves.
Roanoke Rapids City Council is scheduled to hold a special budget work session Thursday, June 4, at 10 a.m. at the Lloyd Andrews City Meeting Hall, just two days after a public hearing on the city’s proposed FY 2026-2027 budget.
Local reporting says the proposal would raise the city tax rate from 64.1 cents to 68.1 cents per $100 of assessed value if adopted. It also says the budget would still require a $1,601,054 draw from the city’s undesignated fund balance to reach a $21,113,732 operating budget.
That matters for property owners because the city portion of the tax bill would rise if council approves the higher rate. The city’s current adopted FY 2025-2026 budget sets the ad valorem tax rate at $.641 per $100 of taxable value, which is the baseline council is weighing against this year’s proposal.
RRSpin reported that City Manager Kelly Traynham said no new positions are funded and no reduction in force is planned. The reporting also said the budget discussion has centered on public safety, spending pressure, and the city’s use of reserves.
The immediate question now is whether council members want changes Thursday before moving the proposal closer to final adoption. For residents, homeowners, and business owners, the main issues are simple: how much taxes may rise, how much the city still expects to pull from reserves, and what level of service the final budget preserves.
