Wilmington adopts $349.8 million FY2027 budget with tax increase

Wilmington City Council adopted the city’s fiscal 2027 budget in a 4-3 vote June 16, approving a $349.8 million spending plan that raises the property-tax rate and funds a living-wage salary policy for city employees.

The budget took effect July 1, 2026. The City of Wilmington said the plan focuses on public safety, infrastructure, employee retention and service delivery, making the vote a decision about both the cost of municipal government and how the city staffs its operations.

Property-tax rate rises

The adopted budget increases Wilmington’s property-tax rate by 4.9 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. That change affects the city portion of property-tax bills, with the dollar impact varying according to a property’s assessed value.

For a homeowner with a $445,000 property, the increase was estimated at approximately $18 more per month. That figure is an estimate based on the specified property value and tax assumptions; it is not a uniform monthly increase for every Wilmington homeowner.

The city describes the budget as totaling $349.8 million. Local reporting also characterizes the plan as approximately $350 million. Those figures reflect the same spending plan, with the larger number rounded to the nearest million.

Living-wage policy receives funding

The budget includes $16.7 million for a living-wage pay philosophy for city employees. The policy ties the city’s starting rate to 60% of area median income, reported as $45,531.

The policy establishes a compensation benchmark and provides funding for that approach. The budget’s adoption does not mean every city employee receives the same immediate pay increase. Its stated starting-rate standard is instead part of the city’s compensation policy and its effort to address recruitment and retention.

Employee compensation is one of the clearest operational effects of the spending plan. The city also identified public safety, infrastructure and service delivery as budget priorities, so the adopted plan will guide those functions during the fiscal year that began July 1.

Council vote

The budget passed with four votes in favor and three against. Mayor Pro-Tem Kevin Spears and council members Salette Andrews and Chakema Clinton-Quintana voted against the measure.

With the vote, the council finalized the FY2027 spending plan, the higher property-tax rate and the funding for the living-wage policy. The action applies to the city fiscal year running from July 1, 2026, through the next budget cycle.

For Wilmington property owners, the immediate financial issue is the higher city tax rate. For city employees and the broader municipal workforce, the budget sets aside $16.7 million for a compensation policy built around a 60% area-median-income benchmark. The plan also establishes the spending framework for public safety, infrastructure and city services through FY2027.