u/terrymah

Quick recap from the Town Manager's report at Tuesday's Council meeting (the last one before summer break) for anyone who didn't catch it:

• Salem Street streetscape: pavers in on one side by end of week, then crews switch to the other side mid-to-late July.
• Pleasant Park splash pad: repairs are done, reopening this morning at 10.
• Peakway Southwest connector: ahead of schedule — final paving through July, signals/markings mid-August, loop road ~September, full project mid-fall.
• July 3rd: the Fourth is combined into one day this year. Fireworks Frenzy 4:30–10 PM on the 3rd — parade of wheels, fire dept splashdown, expanded drone show, food trucks, fireworks. Sensory-friendly room at the Senior Center 8–10 for a quieter option.
• Ask Apex: the town's call line is resolving ~95% of calls on the spot, ~1 min average answer time.
• Utility billing: payment plans went from ~150 to ~250 in two weeks; the tracked balance is down ~20% ($6.9M → $5.4M).
• Electric meters: ~19,000 new meters in (just over 66%), rest aimed for this fall.

Full report here if you want the detail: https://youtu.be/fiRsNbTv1Ak?t=1233

Heads up for anyone with kids melting in this heat — the splash pad at Pleasant Park is back open as of tomorrow at 10 AM. It's been down for repairs, those are finished, and it's good to go. Free, no reservation needed.

Figured this sub would want the word before the weekend.

☀️ Heads up, solar customers.

Right now your generation credits expire June 30 — and with all the recent software/billing/meter changes, that's snuck up on a lot of people.

Tomorrow, Town Council is considering (and expected to adopt) giving you breathing room: extending this year's deadline to October 31.

I got tired of not knowing where the Route 1 bus actually was, so I spent the weekend building a live map for it: https://bus.peaknewsnetwork.org

It shows the bus location in real time for both directions, and you can tap any stop to see the next arrival times. It's just a personal project, not an official GoApex tool — the official GoCaryLive map is linked inside it too.

It's still early and a little rough, so if you ride Route 1 I'd genuinely like to know what's broken or what would make it more useful.

Quick update on one of the Town's capital projects for anyone who follows local historic preservation.

Work on the historic Tunstall House is on schedule. The first phase of site work is done, and the next phase (landscaping and final pavement) is set for roughly July through December. Inside, insulation has started, mechanical/electrical/plumbing rough-in inspections are underway, and exterior priming has begun. They also found some termite damage that's being inspected and replaced now.

The current phase is on track to wrap in December 2026, with a budget of about $3.4 million.

Happy to answer questions if anyone has them.

Good summary from INDY Week on last night’s Apex budget vote.

I know any tax increase matters, and I don’t take that lightly. Council adopted a reduced budget after weeks of review, focused on public safety, infrastructure, and the core services residents rely on.

A zero-cent increase is not free, it means cuts, delays, or risks somewhere else. Residents deserve honesty about those tradeoffs.

https://indyweek.com/news/apex-passes-262-million-budget-with-1-75-cent-tax-increase/

Last night, Apex Town Council adopted the FY2027 budget. It was the same budget draft Council last reviewed at our work session, with one additional modification: further operating cuts that allowed us to fully fund our infrastructure investment fund.

I know any property tax increase matters to families, and I do not take that lightly. Apex has worked hard in recent years to keep our tax rate low, including holding the General Fund rate flat last year.

This year’s budget includes a limited, targeted increase to keep up with the needs of a fast-growing town — especially public safety, infrastructure, and the core services residents rely on.

The budget adopted last night was the result of months of staff review, public input, Council work sessions, reductions, and discussion of tradeoffs. A late alternative approach was brought up, but it largely reintroduced deep infrastructure cuts and deferrals Council had already reviewed and decided not to pursue — cuts that would have created real consequences for services, infrastructure, long-term planning, and the Town’s financial position in future years.

That is the hard part of budgeting: a zero-cent increase is not free. It means cuts, delays, freezes, or risks somewhere else, and residents deserve honesty about those tradeoffs.

I’ll keep pushing for responsible spending, better long-term planning, and growth that pays more of its own way — while protecting the services and infrastructure our residents count on.

Hunter Street Bike Park is moving through design.

The plan is for a mountain bike skills course using natural elements, plus a separate interior pump track. Nature Trails has submitted a pre-application packet with a site plan, early demolition plan, and drainage plans. The Technical Review Committee reviewed that submission, and the next step is an Exempt Site Plan submittal.

This is exactly the kind of recreation option that gives kids, teens, and adults something active to do without needing a full team, league, or scheduled program. Still design-stage, but worth watching.

I don’t think residents should have to read a full budget document to understand the basic tradeoffs.

At this week’s budget work session, I made the motion and Council approved direction to use the 1.75-cent increase scenario as the new baseline for the FY26-27 budget.

That broadly follows the alternative budget proposal I shared earlier: lower than the original 3.5-cent proposal, while trying to avoid cuts that I do not think would be responsible.

Here are the basic scenarios Council reviewed:

• Current rate: 35.6¢
• Original proposed increase: +3.5¢
• 2¢ scenario: 37.6¢
• 1.75¢ scenario: 37.35¢
• 0¢ scenario: 35.6¢

I know the 0¢ option sounds appealing. I understand why. Nobody enjoys talking about a tax increase.

But the 0¢ option also comes with real cuts. The slide presented at the work session showed about $5.7 million in reductions, including public safety positions, deferred vehicle replacement, and removing funding from major capital projects.

That is the tradeoff I want residents to see clearly. This is not just a question of “higher” or “lower.” It is a question of which services, projects, and risks we are willing to accept.

I’m going to keep pushing for the lowest responsible tax rate, with clear information about what each option actually means.

The budget hearing is June 9. If you have thoughts, that is a good time to share them with Council.

Apex Friendship Middle School's Matin Maani, a 7th grade social studies teacher, has been named Wake County's 2026 Teacher of the Year.

I especially appreciated his comments about helping students engage with difficult topics thoughtfully, with both heart and intellect. That's the kind of teaching students remember.

Congratulations to Mr. Maani and Apex Friendship Middle.

https://www.wral.com/news/education/apex-friendship-middle-school-teacher-matin-maani-wake-county-2026-teacher-of-the-year-may-2026/

A quick Apex budget update: the numbers are still moving.

The original draft budget included a larger property tax increase. After our most recent work session, and after a few of my suggestions were integrated, including increased fund balance use and targeted departmental trims, staff has moved the working draft down to about a 3-cent increase.

At the next budget workshop on May 21, the Town Manager is expected to bring Council more options, including scenarios around 2 cents, 1.75 cents, and 0 cents. The final baseline rate has not been decided yet.

Council will review what is included or removed under each option. We may also vote individual adjustments in or out. Because of that, the public hearing has been moved to June 9, pending the May 21 discussion.

A 0-cent option likely means no meaningful service expansions, including no new APD officers and no increase in vehicle replacements. It may still be an option Council reviews, but residents should understand the tradeoff.

I proposed asking staff to analyze a 1.75-cent option because residents deserve to see a serious alternative before Council settles on a final number. My goal was to reduce the tax impact while preserving key priorities.

That means looking at vacancy timing, delays or reorganizations of unfilled positions, limited fund balance use, operating reductions, software costs, revenue assumptions, and fee schedules.

Lowering the rate reduces the immediate impact on residents. At the same time, every reduction has to come from somewhere: staffing, equipment, maintenance, infrastructure planning, programs, or other town needs.

Residents should not have to decode a budget spreadsheet to understand the choices being made. What should Apex fund now, what can wait, and what tax impact is responsible?

I’m planning a Budget Town Hall on May 26 at 6pm to review the decisions made at the May 21 work session and get one more round of input before the June 9 budget hearing. More details coming soon.

Apex Peakway Southwest Connector is in construction and remains on track.

Recent work includes 20-inch waterline construction along S. Salem Street, bridge approach slabs, curb, gutter, and sidewalks along Peakway/Grappenhall/Towhee, testing for traffic signal pole foundations, and brick pavers.

Next up: completing the waterline work along S. Salem Street, continuing bridge approach slabs, installing barrier rail on the bridge, and traffic signal pole foundations.

This is a big one, and the aerial view helps show the scale of the work underway.

Another capital projects update: Apex's wayfinding signage project is moving from design review toward construction.

Council approved the PGA Construction contract on April 28. The Notice of Award was sent April 29, and the tentative Phase 1 schedule has fabrication and installation running from June through December 2026.

The practical goal is simple: make it easier for residents and visitors to find parking, public destinations, downtown businesses, bike routes, and pedestrian connections.