As the end of the year draws near, Durham County commissioners celebrated successes from 2025 and peered into the future at challenges that await around the corner during their meeting on Monday, which included the annual State of the County address.
Board Chair Nida Allam presided over the address, with each of the five board members spotlighting achievements from county personnel and departments, as well as consequential budget expenditures and capital improvement projects.
But before Allam shared the good news, she reflected on the turmoil caused by the presence of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents that rocked Durham and other parts of the state last week. Allam, a practicing Muslim who is from an immigrant family, said the harassment and surveillance of immigrants by federal agents struck a nerve, but the response from members of the community, who spent countless hours volunteering to protect and support folks targeted by CBP agents, met her expectations.
“I saw people checking in on each other,” she said. “I saw parents looking out for kids who weren’t their own. I saw neighbors opening up their homes, offering rides, delivering food, sharing information, and refusing to let anyone face this fear alone. That’s who we are here. Durham keeps each other safe, not through intimidation or force, but through care, through community, and through love.”
Fending off federal law enforcement isn’t the only issue that galvanized local residents recently. After Congress failed to pass a budget causing the government to shut down for a record 43 days, thousands of SNAP recipients were unsure if their food assistance benefits would be distributed in November. Programs across Durham, including the Durham County Department of Social Services (DSS), worked with local partners to step in and provide food and other resources for affected individuals and families. Allam said DSS employees distributed 688 bags of food to families in need, as well as $6,000 worth of food cards to seniors, calling the food drive a “tremendous success” right before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Durham County made a significant investment in capital projects this year. Commissioner Stephen Valentine said these were investments in “people, education, and care.” A major undertaking was finding a new home for downtown Durham’s beloved Durham School of the Arts, which began construction this fall at its new location on Duke Homestead Road, and is expected to be completed in 2027. Construction of the new school facility is funded through the $423.5 million bond referendum that was passed in 2022. The Museum of Life + Science and Durham Technical Community College also received $13.9 million and $112.6 million in bond funding, respectively, to make campus and programming improvements
Durham County crossed a major milestone when the board passed a budget that exceeded one billion dollars for the first time in history, with increased funding for Durham Public Schools (DPS) and early childhood education, and investment in affordable housing.
But the board will have to dig deep into its pockets and come up with creative solutions for balancing its billion-dollar budget if it wants to continue investing in education, capital improvements, and public safety.
Commissioner Wendy Jacobs said county officials are facing “significant headwinds” as they look at future budget projections and will need to rethink revenue sources as they “converge” with expenditure demands. Funding from the American Rescue Plan Act is beginning to expire, the state has yet to pass a budget, federal funding is uncertain amid the Trump administration’s policy decision, and sales tax is stagnating.
Property taxes went up this year as a result of the county’s first revaluation since 2019, but because the state prohibits municipalities from establishing a “progressive” tax on higher-valued property, the county is limited in the ways it can raise revenue, making the budget exercise challenging if the county wants to lessen the tax burden on lower-income taxpayers.
Those challenges did not sour the mood during Monday’s address. Allam presented County Manager Claudia Hager with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, one of North Carolina’s highest civilian honors, on behalf of Governor Josh Stein. Hager has worked in Durham County for 14 years, but her resume working in North Carolina is extensive.
Hager may have gotten top billing, but she was far from the only county staffer who received recognition. Among those recognized were Derek Bowens, director of the Durham Board of Elections (BOE) since 2017, who received the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Election Officials. The BOE won two awards for its voter education, communications, and use of technology, commissioners noted.
Allam said the county board has been working collaboratively with the City of Durham and DPS to “seek ways to strategically plan for whatever comes from Raleigh or Washington to ensure that our community continues to succeed.”
“We will remain resolute, determined, insightful, focused, and resilient during these times, and we must bring this spirit to any challenge that we encounter, whether in governing or out in our communities,” Allam said.
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