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The City of Wilmington is currently considering a significant tax increase — upward of 20% — recommended by City Manager Becky Hawke, who aims to support a “living wage” for lower-paid employees, but also improve compensation for all city employees, as well as invest in capital projects. The city budget is still a work in progress, and on Friday, councilmembers and staff spent all day workshopping details. A vote is slated for Tuesday.
The proposed budget prompted a critical opinion piece from former councilmember Luke Waddell, who lost his 2025 re-election bid, published in the Greater Wilmington Business Journal: ‘Seeing Red’: A Case For Fiscal Restraint, Principled Leadership In Wilmington…