The Fayetteville City Council voted 9-1 on June 22 to approve a $327.3 million spending plan, ending a turbulent budget season largely driven by Mayor Mitch Colvin’s insistence on keeping tax rates steady.

The final budget—paired with a $117 million capital improvement plan—maintains the city’s current property tax rate of $0.4495 per $100 of value. 

“Passing a zero tax increase budget is a testament to what disciplined, community-focused leadership can achieve,” Colvin told CityView. “We kept taxes low while investing in our workforce, eight new police officers, public safety technology and continuing our commitment to sidewalks, bike lanes, and street infrastructure—that’s a win for every resident in Fayetteville.”

The council also agreed to raise the solid-waste fee by $10, the only fee change this year.

The city will release the full budget in the next few weeks, Communications Manager David Scott told CityView. 

City Manager Doug Hewett proposed a $322 million budget in May that included a 3-cent property tax increase and a slate of “strategic investments.” But council members expressed their frustrations during budget meetings, saying the proposal failed to reflect the priorities they set in February.

Colvin was the sharpest critic. He said the proposal ignored the council’s directions and left elected officials “hunting for dollars” to avoid a tax hike.

“I felt like I wasted our time,” Colvin said earlier this month.

The council had planned to adopt a budget by June 8, but it quickly became clear that timeline was no longer feasible. 

Over the next two weeks, Colvin emerged as the central budget architect by encouraging city staff to work within his political parameters.

On June 12, he presented what he called a consolidated “working list,” a package of cuts, restorations, and adjustments designed to avoid a tax increase while protecting high visibility services. 

He repeatedly framed a no tax increase stance as both a political and moral imperative. Many residents are already strained by inflation and high poverty rates, he argued. 

But several members questioned whether avoiding a tax increase was reckless. 

Councilmember Stephon Ferguson argued for a 2 cent tax increase, calling it “fiscally irresponsible” to not fully fund critical needs public safety technology, bike lanes, and neighborhood connectivity. 

Ferguson also criticized Colvin’s decision to bundle dozens of recommendations into a single vote, saying it “forces us to support items we really are against and go against things that we actually support.” 

Councilmember Lynne Greene urged her colleagues to stay open to the idea of a tax increase. She said the city could otherwise struggle to maintain services.

“We can’t get where we need to be because we are outpaced, and so I think it’s important that we as a body keep that in mind,” she told the council. 

Still, Ferguson and Greene voted in favor of the budget on Monday. Councilmember Shaun McMillan cast the lone no vote. He said the council’s process was rushed and unfair—both in how staff were treated and in how some major items, including ShotSpotter and employee pay raises, were not thoroughly debated in public.

“I am not supporting this budget as presented tonight, and that’s not against my colleagues, not against the good that is in this budget,” he said Monday night. “But it is a vote for process that is worthy of the people we serve and the staff who serve alongside us.”

U&CW Editor’s note: This article has been trimmed for space. To read the article in full, visit https://www.cityviewnc.com/stories/fayetteville-council-adopts-budget-avoids-tax-increase/