Wake Forest Matters

Thirteen applied. Five made the cut. One seat. Here is a full account of how Wake Forest chose its newest commissioner — and what every finalist said in the room. This is that record.

Five Finalists, One Seat: Inside Wake Forest's Second Commissioner Appointment in Six Months Wake Forest interviewed five finalists to fill the commissioner seat vacated by Haseeb Fatmi. Here's who they were and how they answered.

It is time to rewrite Wake Forest's charter and professionalize our government — before the S-Line and the next decade of growth run us over.

A Town of 65,000 Is Still Being Run Like a Town of 7,500 Wake Forest is experiencing significant growth. Discover why updating the town charter is vital for effective governance.

Correction: Wake Forest Downtown, Inc. does not plan, organize, or fund Friday Night on White. The event is produced and funded by the Town of Wake Forest, through its General Fund and with sponsorship support. Wake Forest Downtown, Inc. is a separate downtown marketing and development nonprofit funded through the Downtown Municipal Service District. Earlier Wake Forest Matters coverage that connected the nonprofit to the event has been corrected.

At 12:22 a.m. on June 11, we filed a public records request with the Town of Wake Forest. B&W Hardware's announcement that it would close during Friday Night on White prompted the filing. The store's statement cited years of property damage, shoplifting, and unruly customers. The owners also said that since May, law enforcement had been placing officers with long guns on the building's roof during the event. The subject of my request was Friday Night on White police deployments — and what they are costing this community. It went in about seventeen hours before the Town issued its first public statement.

In the days that followed, three downtown businesses closed or restricted access during FNOW events. The Town confirmed armed officers on downtown rooftops. WRAL and ABC11 sent crews. A sitting town commissioner also committed publicly to reviewing the records if they contradict what officials told him.

Three shops are closing during Friday Night on White. Wake Forest police confirmed rooftop rifles. Wake Forest confirmed armed officers on downtown rooftops while its own TV sponsor broadcast the concert. A 77-year hardware store went dark. We filed two records requests. Here's what's on the record — and what we've asked the Town to produce.

Fearless. Local. Loud.
A free, open way for Wake Forest residents, civic organizations, nonprofits, faith communities, and students to publish local stories on Wake Forest Matters.

Write your piece. Send it to us. We’ll read every submission, and we’ll publish the ones that meet our standards. That’s it.

Wake Forest Matters is independent local journalism for Wake Forest, NC. We can’t cover everything that matters here, so we’re inviting the community to help.

Residents, civic organizations, nonprofits, faith communities, and students can write about what is happening in their part of Wake Forest and send their work to us. We read every submission. We publish what meets our standards. We tell you when we can’t, and why.

No money changes hands in either direction. There is nothing to sign. There is no application. There is no formal training. Write the piece, send it to the address, and we’ll take it from there.

Community Contributors Fearless. Local. Loud. A free, open way for Wake Forest residents, civic organizations, nonprofits, faith communities, and students to publish local stories on Wake Forest Matters. Write your piece. Send […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Source: Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce press release, June 12, 2026.

WAKE FOREST, NC – June 12, 2026– The Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Tisha Baker Lowe, PMP, CDMP, as President of the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce.

Tisha has served as Interim President since December 2025, successfully guiding the Chamber through a leadership transition while maintaining organizational stability, driving membership growth and engagement, and advancing key Chamber initiatives. Following a thorough evaluation of the Chamber's leadership needs and future direction, the Board unanimously agreed that Tisha is the right leader to continue building on the Chamber's momentum and serve its members, investors, and community partners.

Tisha's appointment reflects not only her success as Interim President, but also her longstanding commitment to the Chamber and the Wake Forest business community.

Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce Appoints Tisha Baker Lowe as President The Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce welcomes Tisha Baker Lowe as President. Find out what this means for the community.

Many Wake Forest residents say the same thing in venue after venue: the town is growing too fast. They wonder why local leaders aren’t stopping or slowing construction. “Why can’t they just say no?” residents ask. Understanding Wake Forest development, however, means understanding the laws that govern it.

Residents feel unsettled for many reasons. The town population has risen by over 200% decennially since 2000. Bypass 98/Dr. Calvin Jones Highway saw 19,000 vehicles a day in 2011. Then developers bought the neighboring lots. As of 2024, businesses, restaurants, stores, and apartment complexes line the road. Today it sees 33,000 vehicles a day.

Wait Avenue tells a similar story. It grew from 7,000 vehicles a day in 2003 to 20,000 by 2024. The town’s namesake tree canopy has also shrunk over the past 20 years, reaching about 40% coverage in 2020. Construction crews work across Wake Forest at any given time. The town’s Active Development Map.

The Legality of Saying "No" to Development Why can't Wake Forest just say no to development? A look at the UDO, zoning, state law, and the case that shapes Wake Forest development.

Last Friday night, the Haseeb Fatmi campaign held its kickoff as the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre filled with roughly two hundred people, some standing, all eager to hear from North Carolina's newest State Senator.

Haseeb Fatmi, former Wake Forest Commissioner, was appointed to replace Terence Everitt only a few weeks ago. It's been a whirlwind for everyone involved, but especially Fatmi. He wasn't expecting to be picked and did not nominate himself. However, he told the committee, "If you all agree and decide on me, I will accept."

Now Senator Fatmi was hesitant at first. By mid-May, he had been in office on the Wake Forest Town Board for six months. He ran for office for the first time last year. While being a public servant had always been the dream, he didn't put himself forward for Wake Forest until he was asked. With local support, he committed himself to serving his Town, and won the most votes out of all of the candidates.

Senator Haseeb Fatmi Kicks Off Campaign at Packed Wake Forest Renaissance Centre New NC State Senator Haseeb Fatmi officially launched his District 18 campaign before a crowd of 200 at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, with Justice Anita Earls presiding. 147 days to Election Day.

A heads-up for residents of Northern Wake, Franklin, and southern Granville counties: this is a quiet week for local government — most boards bracket the window with meetings on June 1–2 and June 15–16 — but a very full week downtown. Friday Night on White returns with Night Years, the America 250 art show opens, the Saturday Farmers Market keeps doing what it does, and Family Movie Night at Joyner Park (it's Zootopia 2) wraps up the weekend.

It's also going to be hot. Highs in the upper 80s to low 90s most days, heat index flirting with advisory territory midweek, and Stage 1 mandatory water restrictions are still in effect.

Here's everything you need to know.

Government meetings this week

Wake Forest's Board of Commissioners, Rolesville's BOC, Granville County, and the Granville school board all met last week or meet next week. Inside the June 8–14 window:

- Monday, June 8 — Franklin County Schools Board of Education, 6:00 p.m. 53 W. River Rd., Louisburg.

What's Happening This Week in Wake Forest and Beyond — June 8–14, 2026 Independent local news coverage of Wake Forest, NC. Read the latest on Wake Forest government, schools, development, public safety, and community issues from Wake Forest Matters.

Welcome to Wake Forest Matters Wake Forest Matters delivers local news for Wake Forest, NC — covering town government, schools, development, community events, and more.

Franklin County Info › Property Tax
Franklin County Property Tax & Assessment
Current rates, how to look up your assessed value, how to appeal, payment options, and the senior/disabled exemptions you may qualify for.

Pay Property Tax →
Property Lookup & GIS →
File an Appeal →
Senior/Disabled Relief →

Current Rate (FY 2025–26)

- Franklin County: $0.5050 per $100 of assessed value
- FY 2026–27 proposed: No rate increase per the County Manager’s May 4, 2026 budget message
- Comparison — Wake County (FY 2026–27): $0.5371 per $100, after a 2-cent increase adopted June 1, 2026

Example Bill
A home assessed at $284,000 (the Franklin County median per the Census ACS) pays roughly $1,434/year in county property tax at the current rate. Properties inside town limits also pay their town’s rate on top.

Franklin County Property Tax & Assessment Franklin County property tax rate, lookups, appeals, payment options, and senior/disabled exemptions.