The City of Durham has four budget Community Conversations left, starting Tuesday. Residents 13 and older get dinner, childcare and a $25 gift card for sharing their priorities.

The City of Durham wants residents to tell it how to spend next year’s budget, and it will feed them while they do. Four of its six November Community Conversations are still to come. The first is Tuesday at Lakewood Elementary School.

Each session starts with a community meal. Residents 13 and older who take part get a $25 Visa gift card. Childcare is provided on site, and Spanish interpretation is available. That is according to the city’s news release on the budget conversations.

The sessions still to come

Date Time Place
Tuesday, Nov. 10 6 to 8 p.m. Lakewood Elementary School, 2520 Vesson Ave.
Thursday, Nov. 12 6 to 8 p.m. Parkwood Elementary School, 5207 Revere Road
Wednesday, Nov. 18 6 to 8 p.m. Holton Career Center, 401 N. Driver St. (in Spanish only)
Thursday, Nov. 19 6 to 8 p.m. W.G. Pearson Center, 600 E. Umstead St.

Two earlier sessions took place Nov. 4 at the Durham Armory and Nov. 7 at ReCity Network.

What happens at a session

The city said each evening runs in three parts:

  • a community meal
  • an introduction to how the discussion works
  • small group discussions about what residents want funded

The sessions are run by the city’s Budget and Management Services Department and its Community Partnerships and Engagement Department.

Where your answers go

The city said it will share residents’ priorities with the City Council at its budget retreats in February. The council uses those retreats to shape its funding decisions. The feedback will inform the budget for fiscal year 2027-28, which starts July 1, 2027.

The Community Partnerships and Engagement Department also plans smaller discussions with residents, young people, local businesses and community groups. The city said it will also hold short drop-in conversations at community events. Those will help shape the city’s strategic plan as well as the budget.

What it means for you

The city budget pays for police and fire, trash pickup, parks, streets, water and housing programs. The city said it holds these sessions to hear from residents early, before the council starts its own budget work in February.

  • Register first: the city asks people to sign up through its registration form, in English or Spanish.
  • Bring the family: childcare and dinner are provided, and anyone 13 or older who takes part gets the $25 gift card.
  • Pick a night: the Nov. 18 session at Holton Career Center is held in Spanish.
  • More details: the city keeps a Community Conversations page.

The city budget is separate from Durham County’s. Inside city limits you pay both property tax rates, and for fiscal 2026-27 the county’s 57.92 cents per $100 of value is the larger share, next to the city’s 43.71 cents. Our Durham property taxes guide explains both. For which city office handles what, see who to call at City Hall.