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Durham, Durham County

Durham: City Council adopts a resolution on three Nov. 3 ballot amendments

Two independent accounts of Monday night's meeting say the vote was unanimous. The questions cover the income-tax cap, local property-tax growth and photo ID. Voters decide Nov. 3.

ConfirmedThe main facts are confirmed by official or first-hand sources.

By Triangle Local Newsroom · Published

The downtown Durham skyline under an overcast sky

File photo: Discover Durham (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • The posted Durham City Council agenda for Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, listed a 7 p.m. meeting at 101 City Hall Plaza and, as item 24, "Resolution Regarding the Impact of the 2026 Constitutional Amendments on Durham," with Council Member Matt Kopac as the resource person.Confirmed by Durham City Council agenda, Oct. 19, 2026
  • The News & Observer, in a Tuesday afternoon story, reported that the council unanimously approved that resolution late Monday, urging residents to reject three statewide constitutional questions on the Nov. 3 ballot.Confirmed by The News & Observer, Oct. 20, 2026
  • Hey Durham, a civic recap of the same meeting, also reported a unanimous vote on Oct. 19 and described the resolution as asking residents to vote against the three questions.Confirmed by Hey Durham recap of the Oct. 19, 2026, City Council meeting
  • A State Board of Elections referendum list for Nov. 3, 2026, prints three statewide questions. One is: "Constitutional amendment to keep the State income tax rate from being raised higher than three and one-half percent (3.5%)."Confirmed by NCSBE statewide referendums list, Nov. 3, 2026
  • The second question on that list is: "Constitutional amendment requiring limits on property tax increases by local governments."Confirmed by NCSBE statewide referendums list, Nov. 3, 2026
  • The third is: "Constitutional amendment to require all voters, not just those presenting to vote in person, to present photo identification before voting."Confirmed by NCSBE statewide referendums list, Nov. 3, 2026
  • An official Legislative Services Officer summary, adopted Aug. 20, 2026, says the income-tax measure would lower the constitutional maximum from 7 percent to 3.5 percent beginning Jan. 1, 2027.Confirmed by Legislative Services Officer official summary, Aug. 20, 2026
  • The same summary says the property-tax measure would require the General Assembly to set limits on property-tax increases by local governments, and that the photo-ID measure would require photographic identification for voters in all instances in North Carolina elections.Confirmed by Legislative Services Officer official summary, Aug. 20, 2026
  • Article V of the North Carolina Constitution now caps the income-tax rate at 7 percent. Contingent text already printed there would drop that cap to 3.5 percent if voters approve the 2026 income-tax amendment.Confirmed by North Carolina Constitution, Article V
  • The Department of Revenue says the individual income-tax rate for taxable years after 2025 is 3.99 percent. Statute G.S. 105-153.7 lists the same rate and allows later cuts if revenue triggers are met.Confirmed by NCDOR tax-rate schedules; G.S. 105-153.7
  • Statewide in-person early voting for the Nov. 3 election started Oct. 15 and ends at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.Confirmed by North Carolina State Board of Elections

Still unknown

  • The exact wording of the adopted resolution. The city had not posted minutes or a signed copy on the pages we could read Tuesday afternoon
  • How the property-tax growth formula, exceptions or a household bill would look if voters approve that question. The official summary does not set a number
  • Whether any council member later issued a written statement that differs from the two meeting accounts

What this means for you

Instructions from Durham City Council agenda; North Carolina State Board of Elections

This site is not an elections office and is not the City of Durham. The resolution, as reported, states the council's view. It is not a voting instruction. For sample ballots, sites and photo ID rules, use ncsbe.gov. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

What happened

In Durham, City Council on Monday night adopted a resolution asking residents to vote against three statewide constitutional questions, according to The News & Observer and a civic recap of the meeting.

The posted agenda for the 7 p.m. session at 101 City Hall Plaza listed that item as a resolution on the impact of the 2026 amendments. It named Council Member Matt Kopac as the resource person.

Both accounts said the vote was unanimous. The city had not posted minutes or a signed copy on the pages we could read Tuesday afternoon. The resolution states the council's view. It leaves the statewide questions as they are.

What is on the ballot

A State Board of Elections list for Nov. 3 prints three For-or-Against questions.

One would keep the state income-tax rate from being raised higher than 3.5 percent. The Legislative Services Officer's official summary, adopted Aug. 20, says that would drop the constitutional maximum from 7 percent to 3.5 percent starting Jan. 1, 2027. Article V now uses the 7 percent figure.

The Department of Revenue lists today's individual rate at 3.99 percent for years after 2025. A separate statute allows later cuts if revenue triggers are met. Approving the amendment would set a lower ceiling. It would not, by itself, change that 3.99 percent figure.

A second question would require limits on property-tax increases by local governments. That write-up says the General Assembly would write those limits. It names no growth percentage, exception list or sample household bill.

The third would require all voters, not just people who appear in person, to show photo identification before voting. The August summary describes that as photographic identification in all instances.

What we are not treating as settled from one meeting write-up

The newspaper quoted council members on funding for schools, roads and housing, and on how hard a constitutional change is to undo. We have not read a city PDF of the adopted text. Those lines stay out until durhamnc.gov posts the record.

When to vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. In-person early voting started Oct. 15 and runs through 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, the State Board says.

This site is not the city and is not an elections office. For a sample ballot and ID rules, use ncsbe.gov. If someone is in danger, call 911.

Photos

Text-only. No city or newspaper photos are used here.

Why it matters

The three questions appear on every Nov. 3 ballot in the state. Durham's council stated a position. The resolution does not change the ballot. Residents still decide.

Updates

  1. Oct 20, 2026, 4:05 PM

    The News & Observer and a civic recap both reported a unanimous Oct. 19 vote on a resolution about the three statewide questions. The posted agenda listed the item. Official minutes were not online when we checked.

Sources

  1. Durham City Council meeting agenda, Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, 7 p.m., 101 City Hall Plaza (item 24: Resolution Regarding the Impact of the 2026 Constitutional Amendments on Durham; resource person Council Member Matt Kopac, PR# 20839)

    Official sourcePublished by City of Durham · Checked Oct 20, 2026, 4:05 PM

  2. Durham City Council warns NC ballot amendments could tie local governments’ hands (The News & Observer, Oct. 20, 2026, 2:20 p.m.: unanimous approval late Monday; three statewide questions; council asked residents to reject them)

    Published by The News & Observer · Checked Oct 20, 2026, 4:05 PM

  3. Durham Council urges voters to reject three NC constitutional amendments (Hey Durham recap of the Oct. 19, 2026, regular meeting: unanimous adoption; Kopac named as leading the item; three questions described)

    Published by Hey Durham · Checked Oct 20, 2026, 4:05 PM

  4. Statewide referendums list for Nov. 3, 2026 (NCSBE CONT_CAND report dated Sept. 2, 2026: three constitutional questions and For/Against choices)

    Official sourcePublished by North Carolina State Board of Elections · Checked Oct 20, 2026, 4:05 PM

  5. Official Summary Explanation of 2026 Constitutional Amendments (Legislative Services Officer, adopted Aug. 20, 2026, under G.S. 147-54.10: income-tax cap from 7% to 3.5% beginning Jan. 1, 2027; property-tax limits to be set by the General Assembly; photo ID in all instances)

    Official sourcePublished by North Carolina General Assembly Legislative Services Office · Checked Oct 20, 2026, 4:05 PM

  6. North Carolina Constitution, Article V (current 7% income-tax cap; contingent 3.5% cap and property-tax limitation text tied to the Nov. 3, 2026, referenda)

    Official sourcePublished by North Carolina General Assembly · Checked Oct 20, 2026, 4:05 PM

  7. Tax Rate Schedules (NCDOR: individual income-tax rate 3.99% for taxable years after 2025; later cuts possible under Session Law 2023-134 triggers)

    Official sourcePublished by North Carolina Department of Revenue · Checked Oct 20, 2026, 4:05 PM

  8. G.S. 105-153.7, Individual income tax imposed (rate after 2025 is 3.99%; subsection (a1) lists later trigger cuts)

    Official sourcePublished by North Carolina General Assembly · Checked Oct 20, 2026, 4:05 PM

  9. Upcoming Election (statewide in-person early voting Oct. 15 through 3 p.m. Oct. 31; Election Day Nov. 3)

    Official sourcePublished by North Carolina State Board of Elections · Checked Oct 20, 2026, 4:05 PM

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