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Board of Commissioners — Regular Meeting

Wake County · Board of Commissioners
Monday, July 6, 2026 at 2:00 pm · Wake County Justice Center

Regular meeting Appointments and personnelFire and EMSGrants and outside fundingHealth and human servicesCivil rights and nondiscriminationElections and districtsIntergovernmental agreementsParks and recreationPolice and public safetyPublic facilitiesSchools and educationArts and public artBonds and debtBudget and appropriationsContracts and procurementDrugs and addictionEnvironment and sustainabilityEthics and transparencyFarmland and open spaceHomelessness and shelterTax rate and revaluationTransitWater and sewer

Agenda document Minutes Meeting page Watch Meeting recap

What was decided

  1. Approved 3.EMS 50th Anniversary Proclamation accepted · Pass · Commissioner Adamson moved, seconded by Commissioner Stallings That the Board of Commissioners approves the Proclamation recognizing July 15, 2026 as the 50th An…
  2. Approved 4.Parks, Recreation and Open Space’s 50th Anniversary Proclamation accepted · Pass · Vice-Chair Jackson moved, seconded by Commissioner Thomas That the Board of Commissioners approves the Proclamation recognizing July 2026 as the 50th Anniversary…
  3. Approved 5.Americans with Disabilities Act 36th Anniversary Proclamation accepted · Pass · Commissioner Waters moved, seconded by Commissioner Stallings That the Board of Commissioners approves the Proclamation recognizing the 36th Anniversary of Ameri…
  4. Approved 20.Public Hearings on 2026 Bond Referenda for Schools and Wake Tech accepted · Pass · Vice-Chair Jackson moved, seconded by Commissioner Thomas, That the Board of Commissioners: 1. Hold a public hearing on the Bond Order related to proposed Novemb…
  5. Approved Appointments accepted · Pass · Vice-Chair Jackson moved, seconded by Commissioner Adamson, That the Board of Commissioners approve the July appointments to the citizen advisory boards. The mot…
  6. Approved Closed Session accepted · Pass · Commissioner Thomas moved, seconded by Vice-Chair Jackson, that the Board of Commissioners go into Closed Session. The motion carried by the following vote: Comm…

Another 14 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

The agenda holds public hearings on bond orders for two proposed November 3, 2026 referenda: a two-year, $680 million bond for Wake County Public Schools and a four-year, $149.1 million bond for Wake Technical Community College. Adopting the orders on second reading would put both measures on the fall ballot.

The board also plans to add a floor resolution honoring Dr. Prezell R. Robinson, the late eighth president of St. Augustine's University; act on three anniversary proclamations, for Wake County EMS, Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space, and the Americans with Disabilities Act; take up a 13-item consent agenda covering a Microsoft licensing agreement, a Public Safety Center sprinkler-replacement contract, a Dillard Drive lease assumption and other routine business; and vote on July appointments to nine citizen advisory boards.

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 amended the agenda on the floor to add a resolution honoring Dr. Prezell R. Robinson, the eighth president of St. Augustine's University, who died recently at 105. They then approved three anniversary proclamations without debate — for Wake County EMS's 50th, Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space's 50th, and the Americans with Disabilities Act's 36th — and a 13-item consent agenda covering a three-year Microsoft licensing agreement with SHI International, a construction contract for a Public Safety Center sprinkler replacement, a lease assumption for county offices on Dillard Drive with the Board of Education, an FY2027 behavioral health funding agreement with Alliance Health, an elections board memorandum of understanding, updated board rules of procedure, and other routine business. They also approved July appointments to nine citizen advisory boards.

The board held public hearings on bond orders for the two referenda and adopted both on second reading, sending them to the November 3 ballot; no one spoke at either hearing. Nineteen people spoke during general public comment, most on a proposed WakeMed-Atrium Health strategic combination that was not on the meeting's agenda: hospital staff and community partners urged support, while faith, advocacy and health policy speakers warned it would raise prices and move control of the county's hospital system to a Charlotte-based corporation. Others asked the board to help restore an early voting site dropped from NC State's Talley Student Union, and a resident described a dog attack and her dissatisfaction with the county's animal control response. The board took no vote on either the merger or the voting site, and closed the meeting with a closed session on a confidential legal matter that produced no action.

How the votes went

Every recorded vote at this meeting passed 7-0, with all seven commissioners present voting aye each time: the amended agenda (adding the Robinson resolution); the EMS, Parks and ADA proclamations; the 13-item consent agenda; the Wake County Schools and Wake Tech bond orders, adopted on second reading after the public hearings; the July board appointments; the motions to enter and return from closed session; and adjournment. No amendment or split vote is recorded.

From the published minutes.

Who spoke

19 members of the public spoke.

  1. the chair of the Wake County Democratic Party, on voter suppression and early voting funding
  2. a Southern Wake County resident, on a dog attack and the county's animal control response
  3. a WakeMed critical care physician, in support of the WakeMed-Atrium combination
  4. a member of Alliance Medical Ministry, in support of the WakeMed-Atrium combination
  5. a WakeMed nurse and member of its senior leadership team, in support of the combination
  6. WakeMed's vice president of nursing for the Raleigh campus, in support of the combination
  7. a reverend invited by the Patients Union to describe his experience with Atrium Health in Charlotte, opposed to the combination
  8. a representative of Men of Southeast Raleigh, opposed to the combination
  9. a Wake County resident, opposed to the combination
  10. a resident, opposed to the combination and its effect on charity care
  11. a health policy specialist with the North Carolina Justice Center, opposed to the combination
  12. a resident, on maternal care she received at WakeMed and concerns about the combination
  13. a representative of the NAACP's Raleigh-Apex branch, on early voting access and opposition to the combination
  14. a Southeast Raleigh resident, in support of the combination
  15. a pastor, opposed to the combination
  16. a Cary resident and former nurse, opposed to the combination
  17. a Cary resident speaking on behalf of NC State students, on early voting access
  18. an NC State student, on early voting access
  19. an Apex resident and reverend, in support of the combination

Nineteen people spoke during general public comment. Most addressed a proposed strategic combination between WakeMed and Atrium Health that was not on the board's agenda: physicians, nurses and hospital partners urged support, while faith, community and health-policy speakers warned it would raise health care costs and move control of the county hospital system to a Charlotte-based corporation. Several speakers, including the chair of the Wake County Democratic Party and a representative of the NAACP's Raleigh-Apex branch, asked the board to help fund early voting access after NC State's Talley Student Union was dropped as a site. One resident described a dog attack and criticized the county's animal control response. No one spoke at either bond-referendum public hearing held later in the meeting.

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 (43 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.Approval of the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of June 1, 2026
  7. 3.EMS 50th Anniversary Proclamation
  8. 4.Parks, Recreation and Open Space’s 50th Anniversary Proclamation
  9. 5.Americans with Disabilities Act 36th Anniversary Proclamation
  10. Consent Agenda
  11. 6.Accept Funding from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human…
  12. 7.Accept and Appropriate Intensive Intervention Juvenile Justice Fundin…
  13. 8.Accept and Appropriate Reimbursement and Stewardship Funding for TLC…
  14. 9.Three-Year Agreement with SHI International Corp. for Microsoft Licen…
  15. 10.Approval of FY 2027 Funding Agreement with Alliance Health for Behavi…
  16. 11.Award Construction Contract for Public Safety Center Dry-Pipe Sprinkl…
  17. 12.Approve a Lease Assumption Agreement for 5651 Dillard Drive with the…
  18. 13.Memorandum of Understanding between the Wake County Board of Election…
  19. 14.Wake County's Records Management Program Update
  20. 15.Updates to the Board of Commissioners’ Rules of Procedure and Appoint…
  21. 16.Amend the 2026 Board of Commissioners Meeting Schedule
  22. 17.Proclamation for July 6, 2026
  23. 18.Tax Committee Recommendations for Gross Receipts Penalty, Refund Requ…
  24. General Public Comments
  25. 19.General Public Comments
  26. Regular Agenda
  27. 20.Public Hearings on 2026 Bond Referenda for Schools and Wake Tech
  28. Appointments
  29. 21.Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee
  30. 22.Alcoholic Beverage Control Board
  31. 23.Capital Area Workforce Development
  32. 24.Energy Advisory Commission
  33. 25.Fire Commission
  34. 26.Library Commission
  35. 27.Open Space and Parks Advisory Committee
  36. 28.United Arts Grants Panel
  37. 29.Water Partnership
  38. 30.Upcoming Vacancies for August 2026
  39. Other Business
  40. 31.Reports from Advisory and Regional Boards
  41. 32.Other Reports from Commissioners
  42. Closed Session
  43. Adjourn

Agenda items (43)

Consent agenda · 14Appointment · 11Procedural · 8Proclamation or recognition · 3Staff or committee report · 2Minutes approval · 1Other · 1Public hearing · 1Discussion item · 1Closed session · 1
  1. Meeting Called to Order: Chair Don Mial
    Procedural
  2. Pledge of Allegiance
    Procedural
  3. Invocation: Commissioner Tara Waters
    Procedural
  4. Items of Business
    Procedural Fire and EMS
  5. 1. Approval of Agenda
    Procedural Fire and EMS
    Agenda amended on the floor to add a resolution honoring Dr. Prezell R. Robinson, eighth president of St. Augustine's University, who recently died at age 105.
    Chair Mial moved that the Board of Commissioners amend today’s agenda by adding a resolution honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Prezell R. Robinson, eighth president of St. Augustine’s University who recently passed at age 105.
  6. 2. Approval of the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of June 1, 2026
    Minutes approval Fire and EMS
  7. 3. EMS 50th Anniversary Proclamation
    Proclamation or recognition Fire and EMS
    accepted · Pass · Commissioner Adamson moved, seconded by Commissioner Stallings That the Board of Commissioners approves the Proclamation recognizing July 15, 2026 as the 50th Anniversary of Wake County EMS. The motion carried by the following vote:
  8. 4. Parks, Recreation and Open Space’s 50th Anniversary Proclamation
    Proclamation or recognition Fire and EMSParks and recreation
    accepted · Pass · Vice-Chair Jackson moved, seconded by Commissioner Thomas That the Board of Commissioners approves the Proclamation recognizing July 2026 as the 50th Anniversary of Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space. The motion carried by the following vote:
  9. 5. Americans with Disabilities Act 36th Anniversary Proclamation
    Proclamation or recognition Civil rights and nondiscriminationFire and EMS
    accepted · Pass · Commissioner Waters moved, seconded by Commissioner Stallings That the Board of Commissioners approves the Proclamation recognizing the 36th Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act. The motion carried by the following vote:
  1. General Public Comments
    Procedural
  2. 19. General Public Comments
    Procedural Civil rights and nondiscrimination
    Nineteen residents and organizational representatives spoke, most on a proposed WakeMed-Atrium Health strategic combination not on the board's agenda, plus early voting access at NC State and one account of a dog attack and the county's animal control response.
  3. Regular Agenda
    Other
  4. 20. Public Hearings on 2026 Bond Referenda for Schools and Wake Tech
    Public hearing Bonds and debtSchools and education
    Public hearings on bond orders for the proposed November 3, 2026 bond referenda for Wake County Public School System and Wake Technical Community College, followed by second-reading adoption of both bond orders -- putting both bonds on the fall ballot.
    accepted · Pass · Vice-Chair Jackson moved, seconded by Commissioner Thomas, That the Board of Commissioners: 1. Hold a public hearing on the Bond Order related to proposed November 3, 2026, Bond Referendum for Schools; 2. Hold a public hearing on the Bond Order related to proposed November 3, 2026, Bond Referendum for Wake Tech; and 3. Following the public hearings, adopts on second reading each of the two Bond Or…
  5. Appointments
    Appointment Appointments and personnel
    Approved July appointments to nine citizen advisory boards.
    accepted · Pass · Vice-Chair Jackson moved, seconded by Commissioner Adamson, That the Board of Commissioners approve the July appointments to the citizen advisory boards. The motion carried by the following vote:
  6. 21. Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee
    Appointment Appointments and personnel
  7. 22. Alcoholic Beverage Control Board
    Appointment Appointments and personnel
  8. 23. Capital Area Workforce Development
    Appointment Appointments and personnel
  9. 24. Energy Advisory Commission
    Appointment Appointments and personnelEnvironment and sustainability
  10. 25. Fire Commission
    Appointment Appointments and personnelFire and EMS
  11. 26. Library Commission
    Appointment Appointments and personnel
  12. 27. Open Space and Parks Advisory Committee
    Appointment Appointments and personnelParks and recreation
  13. 28. United Arts Grants Panel
    Appointment Appointments and personnelArts and public artGrants and outside funding
  14. 29. Water Partnership
    Appointment Appointments and personnelWater and sewer
  15. 30. Upcoming Vacancies for August 2026
    Appointment Appointments and personnel
  16. Other Business
    Discussion item
  17. 31. Reports from Advisory and Regional Boards
    Staff or committee report Health and human servicesIntergovernmental agreementsTransit
    Commissioner Evans reported the CAMPO and GoTriangle boards approved the FY2027 Wake Transit Work Program, including $92 million for transit investment and $78.5 million for new and expanded operations, and announced her appointment to chair the Central Pines Regional Council of Governments. Commissioner Stallings reported the Health and Human Services Board discussed senior services and a vacant veterinarian seat on that advisory board.
  18. 32. Other Reports from Commissioners
    Staff or committee report Drugs and addictionElections and districtsHomelessness and shelter
    Commissioners discussed helping the Board of Elections identify additional early voting sites after NC State's Talley Student Union was dropped, though no vote was possible because it was not on the agenda. Commissioner Stallings reported Wake County will receive more than $67 million in opioid settlement funds over 17 years, and Commissioner Adamson reported the InterAct board is planning a capital campaign for a larger domestic violence shelter.
  19. Closed Session
    Closed session
    Closed session held under NCGS 143-318.11(a)(1) to discuss information the county attorney said was privileged or confidential under NCGS 131E-97.3. No action was taken.
    accepted · Pass · Commissioner Thomas moved, seconded by Vice-Chair Jackson, that the Board of Commissioners go into Closed Session. The motion carried by the following vote: Commissioner Thomas moved, seconded by Commissioner Waters that the Board of Commissioners return from Closed Session. The motion carried by the following vote:
  20. Adjourn
    Procedural
    adjourned · Pass · Commissioner Thomas moved, seconded Commissioner Waters that the Board of Commissioners Adjourn the meeting. The motion carried by the following vote:

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