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Board of Commissioners — Regular Meeting

Wake County · Board of Commissioners
Monday, February 16, 2026 at 2:00 pm · Wake County Justice Center

Regular meeting Budget and appropriationsPolice and public safetyGrants and outside fundingBonds and debtTax rate and revaluationDrugs and addictionFire and EMSHealth and human servicesPublic facilitiesSchools and educationAppointments and personnelCivil rights and nondiscriminationContracts and procurementEconomic development incentivesEnvironment and sustainabilityFaith and cultural communitiesHousing and affordabilityLitigation and settlementsRoads and transportationStormwater and flooding

Agenda document Minutes Meeting page Watch Meeting recap

What was decided

  1. Approved 16.Public Hearing and Approval of a Request from North State Medical Transport for a Non-Emergency Ambulance Franchise Renewal (First Reading) approved · Pass · Commissioner Evans moved and seconded by Commissioner Waters to grant a non-emergency ambulance franchise to North State Medical Transport for the operation of a…
  2. Approved 17.Public Hearing on Proposed 2026 Limited Obligation Bonds Not to Exceed $25,000,000 accepted · Pass · Commissioner Evans moved, seconded by Commissioner Thomas, that the Board of Commissioners: 1. Conducts a Public Hearing regarding the proposed issuance of 2026…

Another 11 items passed on the consent agenda, which is a single motion covering routine business. See the list.

Read from the agenda's recorded outcomes. Where the board published minutes, those are the record — this is a pointer to them.

What's on this agenda

Wake County commissioners approve a five-year non-emergency ambulance franchise renewal for North State Medical Transport and hold a public hearing on up to $25 million in Limited Obligation Bonds. The consent agenda bundles routine items: a new opioid-settlement-funded behavioral health position, school system budget reallocations, a Wake Tech capital improvement reallocation, a business park upfit, sheriff's office grant and donation acceptances, additional watershed rehabilitation grant funding, hospitality tax funding commitments, and up to $278 million in proposed 2026 general obligation bonds.

The board also proclaims Black History Month, recognizes a retiring employee, and discusses the process for placing general obligation bond referenda on the ballot and property tax estimates for the next two fiscal years, before closing with a closed session.

Summarized from the published agenda. Read the agenda itself before acting on it.

Meeting recap

What happened, drawn from the records published after the meeting. Minutes

Commissioners recognized five retiring employees and heard Black History Month remarks from Marcus Bass of the National Black Alliance and founding member Brad Thompson before approving a stack of routine business in a single consent vote: a new opioid-funded behavioral health position, Wake County Public School System and Wake Technical Community College capital reallocations, sheriff's office grant and donation acceptances, additional Crabtree Creek watershed grant funds, hospitality tax funding commitments, up to $278,090,000 in proposed 2026 general obligation bonds, a tax lien advertisement date and next year's Board of Equalization and Review. Eleven residents spoke during general public comment, most urging the county to adopt its Cultural Arts Plan; two children asked the board to keep the Athens Drive library at its current site, and a SHIP Community Outreach Center representative asked the county to partner on long-term recovery services.

The board then held two public hearings, both drawing no speakers: a five-year non-emergency ambulance franchise renewal for North State Medical Transport, and a resolution authorizing up to $25 million in Limited Obligation Bonds for public safety projects, including the Hammond Road Annex renovation, a new Whitaker Mill (Five Points) facility and a Sandy Plains Station. Both passed 7-0. Staff also briefed the board on the bond referendum process and on property tax trends, where Tax Administrator Marcus Kinrade warned that a court-recognized exemption structure for charitable low-income housing is cutting into FY2027 revenue growth. Commissioners closed with reports from advisory boards and a closed session on personnel, incentives and pending litigation with Carolynn Properties, taking no action.

How the votes went

Commissioners passed every recorded vote unanimously, 7-0, with all seven members present: approval of the agenda, the consent agenda as a block, the ambulance franchise renewal (item 16), the resolution authorizing up to $25 million in Limited Obligation Bonds (item 17), and adjournment. No amendments or divided votes were recorded.

From the published minutes.

Who spoke

11 members of the public spoke.

  1. Christopher Jones, of SHIP Community Outreach Center, asked Wake County to partner with the center on long-term recovery services.
  2. Thomas Walls, of Cary, spoke in support of the Cultural Arts Plan.
  3. Emily Register, of West Raleigh, thanked the board for hearing input on the Athens Drive library and asked it to support low-income housing and keep the library's current location.
  4. An 8-year-old boy said he won a book at a library raffle and asked the board to keep the Athens Drive library where it is.
  5. His 7-year-old brother asked the board to keep the library in place so the two of them could keep walking to it.
  6. Harini Vijay, of Apex, asked the board to increase support for the arts by adopting the Cultural Arts Plan.
  7. Lyman Collins, of Boiling Heights, asked the board to support the Cultural Arts Plan.
  8. Jeremy Tucker, a director of arts education from Wendell, asked the board to support the Cultural Arts Plan.
  9. Aadit Urhekar, a student musician from Apex, asked the board to adopt the Cultural Arts Plan.
  10. Eva Snapp, of Garner and chair of the county's Cultural Arts committee, asked the board to adopt the Cultural Arts Plan.
  11. Linda Gorham, a professional storyteller, asked the board to support the Cultural Arts Plan.

Eleven residents spoke during general public comment. Christopher Jones asked the county to partner with SHIP Community Outreach Center on long-term recovery services. Thomas Walls, Harini Vijay, Lyman Collins, Jeremy Tucker, Aadit Urhekar, Eva Snapp and Linda Gorham urged the board to adopt the county's Cultural Arts Plan. Emily Register asked the board to support low-income housing and keep the Athens Drive library at its current site; her two children, ages 8 and 7, made the same request about the library.

Read from the records the government published after the meeting. Members of the public are private residents and are not named or indexed.

Speaking at this meeting

Public comment runs 5:30 to 6 p.m. at the first regular meeting of the month and 2:30 to 3 p.m. at the second. Speakers get three minutes. Written comments can be submitted online between 9 a.m. and noon on the day of a regular meeting.

Wake County's own rules for public comment — check them before you rely on anything here.

Jump to an item (32 on this agenda)
  1. Meeting Called to Order: Chair Don Mial
  2. Pledge of Allegiance
  3. Invocation: Commissioner Tara Waters
  4. Items of Business
  5. 1.Approval of Agenda
  6. 2.Retiree Recognition
  7. 3.Black History Month Proclamation
  8. Consent Agenda
  9. 4.Additional Half Position for Behavioral Health Department Using Opioi…
  10. 5.Wake County Public School System February FY 2026 Appropriations and…
  11. 6.Wake Technical Community College Capital Improvement Program Realloca…
  12. 7.Budget Reallocations for 3091 Business Park Upfit
  13. 8.Accept and Appropriate High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Grant Fun…
  14. 9.Accept and Appropriate Donated Funds for the Wake County Sheriff’s Of…
  15. 10.Crabtree Creek Watershed Rehabilitation Grant - Additional Funding
  16. 11.Resolution Approving FY 2026 Hospitality Tax Competitive Process Fund…
  17. 12.Proposed 2026 General Obligation Bonds Not to Exceed $278,090,000
  18. 13.Resolution Setting Date for Advertisement of Tax Liens
  19. 14.Resolution Creating the 2026/2027 Board of Equalization and Review
  20. General Public Comments
  21. 15.General Public Comments
  22. Regular Agenda
  23. 16.Public Hearing and Approval of a Request from North State Medical Tra…
  24. 17.Public Hearing on Proposed 2026 Limited Obligation Bonds Not to Excee…
  25. Manager's Report
  26. 18.General Obligation Bond Referenda Process
  27. 19.Property Tax Estimates for FY2026 and FY2027
  28. Other Business
  29. 20.Reports from Advisory and Regional Boards
  30. 21.Other Reports from Commissioners
  31. Closed Session
  32. Adjourn

Agenda items (32)

Consent agenda · 11Procedural · 10Staff or committee report · 3Public hearing · 2Discussion item · 2Presentation · 1Proclamation or recognition · 1Resolution · 1Closed session · 1
  1. Meeting Called to Order: Chair Don Mial
    Procedural
    Meeting called to order by Chair Don Mial.
  2. Pledge of Allegiance
    Procedural
    Pledge of Allegiance.
  3. Invocation: Commissioner Tara Waters
    Procedural
    Invocation given by Commissioner Tara Waters.
  4. Items of Business
    Procedural Fire and EMS
    Opening of the items-of-business portion of the meeting.
  5. 1. Approval of Agenda
    Procedural
    Board adopts its meeting agenda.
    accepted · Pass · Commissioner Evans moved, seconded by Commissioner Stallings, to the Approval of Agenda. The motion carried by the following vote:
  6. 2. Retiree Recognition
    Presentation
    Board recognizes a retiring county employee.
  7. 3. Black History Month Proclamation
    Proclamation or recognition Faith and cultural communities
    Board proclaims Black History Month.
  1. 11. Resolution Approving FY 2026 Hospitality Tax Competitive Process Funding Commitments
    Resolution Budget and appropriationsGrants and outside funding
    Approves FY 2026 hospitality tax funding commitments chosen through the competitive process.
  2. General Public Comments
    Procedural
    Opening of the general public comment period.
  3. 15. General Public Comments
    Procedural
    General public comments.
  4. Regular Agenda
    Procedural
    Opening of the regular (non-consent) agenda.
  5. 16. Public Hearing and Approval of a Request from North State Medical Transport for a Non-Emergency Ambulance Franchise Renewal (First Reading)
    Public hearing Contracts and procurementFire and EMSPolice and public safety
    Public hearing and first-reading approval of a non-emergency ambulance franchise renewal for North State Medical Transport.
    approved · Pass · Commissioner Evans moved and seconded by Commissioner Waters to grant a non-emergency ambulance franchise to North State Medical Transport for the operation of a medical transportation service in Wake COunty, effective February 16, 2016, for a five-year period.
  6. 17. Public Hearing on Proposed 2026 Limited Obligation Bonds Not to Exceed $25,000,000
    Public hearing Bonds and debtPolice and public safetyPublic facilities
    Public hearing on issuing up to $25,000,000 in 2026 Limited Obligation Bonds.
    accepted · Pass · Commissioner Evans moved, seconded by Commissioner Thomas, that the Board of Commissioners: 1. Conducts a Public Hearing regarding the proposed issuance of 2026 Limited Obligation Bonds ("LOBs") not to Exceed $25,000,000, and upon conclusion of the Public Hearing; and 2. Adopts a resolution authorizing the execution and delivery of LOBs of the County in an amount not to exceed $25,000,000 and rela…
  7. Manager's Report
    Staff or committee report
    Opening of the county manager's report.
  8. 18. General Obligation Bond Referenda Process
    Discussion item Bonds and debt
    Discussion of the process for placing general obligation bond referenda on the ballot.
  9. 19. Property Tax Estimates for FY2026 and FY2027
    Discussion item Budget and appropriationsHousing and affordabilityTax rate and revaluation
    Staff present property tax rate estimates for FY 2026 and FY 2027.
  10. Other Business
    Procedural
    Opening of the other-business portion of the meeting.
  11. 20. Reports from Advisory and Regional Boards
    Staff or committee report Police and public safetyRoads and transportation
    Reports from advisory and regional boards commissioners serve on.
  12. 21. Other Reports from Commissioners
    Staff or committee report Civil rights and nondiscriminationHealth and human servicesPolice and public safety
    Other reports from individual commissioners.
  13. Closed Session
    Closed session Economic development incentivesLitigation and settlements
    Board convenes a closed session.
  14. Adjourn
    Procedural
    Meeting adjourns.
    accepted · Pass · Commissioner Adamson moved, seconded by Commissioner Waters, to Adjourn. The motion carried by the following vote:

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