Board schedules advance public comment session for FY 2026‑27 budget; written comments due March 22

Durham County’s March 23 agenda includes an Advance Public Comment session to solicit resident input on the FY 2026‑27 annual budget. County staff said the session is intended to gather public priorities to inform budget development, with staff from the County Manager’s Office and Budget and Management available for questions.

The agenda sets a standard three‑minute time limit per speaker for oral comments, noting that Chair Dr. Lee may adjust that limit at her discretion. Written comments were required by 2 p.m. on March 22, 2026, and may be submitted by email to the Clerk, by physical mail, fax, or through the county’s online resident budget portal. Claudia Hager (County Manager) and Keith Lane (Budget Director) are listed as resource persons for the item.

Why it matters: the Advance Public Comment session gives residents an opportunity to inform priorities and tradeoffs ahead of formal budget decisions. Timing and submission rules—plus a scheduled virtual budget discussion on March 30 with County staff—are intended to broaden public participation in the budget process.

Next steps: staff will collect submitted comments, include them in the meeting record, and use resident input during FY 2026‑27 budget development.