Raleigh City Council Budget Work Session - June 8, 2026

The City of Raleigh held a budget work session on June 8, 2026, focusing primarily on the LeafOut tree planting program and the fiscal year 2027 budget adoption. The Parks Department presented detailed plans for planting 24,000 trees over several years, funded in part by a federal pass-through grant from the North Carolina Forest Service, payment-in-lieu fees from developers, and supplemental city funds. Key procurement discussions included contracting for large tree planting on city properties, establishing a grant program to partner with community groups for tree planting on private lands, and reallocating $100,000 from tree conservation fees to expand planting efforts. The council discussed staffing needs, including a proposed 25-hour permanent part-time position to support program scaling, and emphasized the importance of maintenance, community education, and tracking tree planting progress via GIS tools. The session concluded with the council adopting the fiscal year 2027 operating and capital improvement budgets, including related ordinances, thereby approving funding for the LeafOut program and other city initiatives.