Funding for WPD Mounted Unit returns to Wilmington city budget

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Wilmington City Council gave initial approval to its proposed $306.6 million budget on Tuesday night.

Outgoing City Manager Tony Caudle ended up altering the budget after public feedback, saving the Wilmington Police Department’s Mounted Patrol Unit.

Getting rid of the unit would have saved the city about $350,000.

A projected increase in ABC revenue, meaning the liquor tax, would make up the difference.

Council voted 6 to 1 on the new arrangements, with Luke Waddell voting against.

A City of Wilmington spokesman said other highlights from the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget include:

• $8.6 million in a competitive compensation strategy designed to attract and retain skilled employees
• More than $30 million in capital investments to improve and maintain Wilmington’s essential infrastructure
• $2.3 million to fund a range of affordable housing initiatives. These include gap financing to support new developments, homeownership assistance, and safety and health-based home repairs
• More than $400,000 allocated to continue police equipment and service contracts
• New funding to cover cancer screenings for all uniformed firefighters
• Following a countywide revaluation conducted by New Hanover County, the median residential home value increased from $238,300 to $364,408. To maintain revenue neutrality, the city set the FY26 tax rate at $0.2825 per $100 assessed valuation. This includes a slight rounding adjustment from the calculated neutral rate of $0.2815. The property tax reevaluation adjusted the Municipal Services District (MSD) tax rate from $0.0647 cents to $0.05 per $100 assessed value

The Fiscal Year 2026 Budget takes effect on July 1, the start of the city’s new fiscal year.

The final vote on the budget is scheduled for Tuesday, June 17.