The property tax increase proposed by Comrade Skip Alston and most likely backed by his ‘yes sir’ cronies on the Board pushes the limits of County residents to have even a chance of having their heads above water. Given the makeup of the Board it will pass and there is nothing we can do about it.
One idea I’ve thought of was legislation requiring a ¾ majority vote on tax issues to pass because a simple majority is too slanted to the side of those Board members voted in by City residents. I already hear the screams about how that’s not fair. So it’s not fair that city critters outnumber county critters so when Greensboro and High Point want something that benefits primarily them from the County we County folks have to buy it for them. After all, people in the County can get water and I believe sewer but have to pay much more (50% is the number I’ve heard) IF the High Council of Greensboro deem them worthy. A lot of other places I’ve lived, water and sewer were under the County which made it more accessible and reasonable to any that wanted it. They will deny it, but Greensboro is still P.O.ed over losing their ability to go out and grab property from the County (involuntary annexation) when they feel like it.
IMPO the Board of Commissars is slowly melding with the High Council of Greensboro. Look at the hundreds of thousands of dollars of OUR taxes (close to 2 million) that go to their pet NPOs like the Civil Rights Museum. Should it receive some assistance? I think so, but that should be ASSISTANCE, not SUPPORT. If private donations can’t be the majority level of support to keep these NPOs operating then maybe they need to look at their books or go away. They should not be pet projects for the Commissars.
My final question is how a school system can have $2,000,000,000.00 in the bank and still go out hat in hand begging for more money to do repairs to a school. I was born at night, just not last night.
Term Limits, No pay/stipend (expenses only) for ELECTED OFFICIALS (After all, you ASKED to be there)
Carpe Diem
Alan Marshall
Should be a flat tax by head count
I can see that.
Personally, I’m thrilled that living in the County means I don’t have sewer and water provided to me, as I don’t have to pay extraordinary monthly bills for either. Having a well with incredible tasting water and a septic tank that we paid for when our house was built and that we maintain ourselves is a benefit of living in the county. We eventually bought a generator for water during power outages and other power needs.
I agree that having a ¾ vote on tax issues would benefit County voters as the area shrinks with annexation. It’s very annoying that many tax issues are voted on by students that attend college in Greensboro for a short time only to leave longtime citizens with paying the taxes they voted for. Many people don’t consider that when considering tax proposals like school bonds or sales tax hikes. Someone commenting that the proposed sales tax increase will only cost another 25cents on $100 isn’t considering that the money raised doesn’t go into a dedicated fund, gets voted on by transient people, while those who live here must pay longterm, and the tax never goes down but increases when the Commissioners find another reason to fund a project.
Commissioners receive more than expenses and a pay stipend. They also receive free lifetime healthcare insurance for themselves and their families, which employees must pay the premium for during employment and as retirees. That’s a huge bonus, even if they only serve one term. If that benefit were taken away and they had to pay the same premium employees do, it would be interesting to see how many would run for office in the future.
I agree Deborah. I so very much prefer it here in the county. I served on the Town Council here where I live and we seemed to get along just fine with no salary/stipend and having expenses handled by the town. Also, we only increased property taxes when w had a community enriching project that needed to be funded, and even then they were increased ONLY what we needed to fund the project.
So you’re saying that the folks in the county should have more say than the people in the cities? That’s what your ¾ majority vote requirement would result in. Not very patriotic or American- minority rule. As for your statement about college students voting? Maybe you missed this one but the state legislature requires non-resident students to vote in their home districts. And Commissioner salaries? Perhaps you want a government managed exclusively by the top 10%. Sounds like fair representation to me.
Great post, so am sure Chris will post his thoughts which will be opposite of what you provided.
Millionaires and billionaires should be supporting pet projects.
The last line is significant: “Term Limits, No pay/stipend (expenses only) for ELECTED OFFICIALS (After all, you ASKED to be there).” 100% correct!
We already have term limits, aka elections, but the voters don’t want to use them.
BINGO!
Alan this is a great example of how we are a Democracy at the same time as a Constitutional Republic. I actually agree with you on this one. Taxation should be hard to change up or down. Local or Federal.
My distaste for Skips politics is what drew me back in the day to be a Rhino Times reader. (That and the old Clinton watch section which was a great read)
Alan Marshall, I’ve said it before and I’m sayin it again, I was born and raised in Greensboro, Guilford County and I got tired of the higher ups sucking my pockets dry, I moved to Va. in 2006 then retired from my job in GSO in 2015 and skipped N.C. all together and moved to S.C. and don’t regret it one bit. I was tired of being broke.
I have joined the club to the Land of Randolph. NC income taxes are going down to around 4% in the next year or two. We actually have a conservative govt in Raleigh, tempered by the Veto King. This is why NC is a destination State. So my Old North State is no more. LIfe changes.
Blacksboro is a minority majority; thanks to all the goodies from Skip-The-Hyp. Little do they understand that everyone here pays property taxes, whether or not they own property.
Maybe bond referendums and sales tax increases should be changed to a 2/3rds majority as well. If a community needs to spend money and the commissioners are going to spend, spend, spend then a simple majority of voters seems to be a very low threshold of voters. every property owner has to pay for this action and non property owners don’t have to pay property taxes.
Dave,
Be very careful. You are liable to come across as a radical, right-wing Republican/Conservative wacko who thinks the American people should be keeping control over their elected representatives.
Correct me if I’m wrong but I always thought that’s how our system of government was supposed to work.
I apologize if some folks misunderstood what I meant about a 2/3 vote. I meant 2/3 of the Board of Commissars, although I’d be up to change it to 3/4.
What would be the conversation if ONLY property owners were able to vote in our elections to raise property taxes for almost every time the city/county/state needs extra cash??
Go Valerie! I’m with you. These Commissioners, including Lord Skippy, are ELECTED. They have figured out how to game the system, and they know voter apathy is an unfortunate but real problem. Thus they line the pockets of family and friends through favoritism and loopholes. Then they “bite the hand that feeds them “ and raise taxes to the highest levels in the State.
Bottom line; vote them out or get out. It’s the only way to survive.
Valerie,
That has been proposed by others, including me, a number of times. My position is an increase of property taxes should only be voted by property owners but the process for verifying is impossible.
We have to accept the system is not perfect. We also have to accept that some use this as a way to get what they want regardless of how it affects
Renters pay property taxes too. It’s part of the rent. HOWEVER, people who mooch and live on the dole are the exception. Since the rent is paid with money taken from taxpayers, the taxes are also paid with money taken from taxpayers.
Alan’s right. Our “public servants” are really our masters, and our masters are demanding that us serfs hand over more of our labor to them.
It’s involuntary servitude, not democracy.
Thank you al hare.
Oh, for God’s sake, manage the money in a more responsible way and you’ll be amazed at the excess amount fiscally and annually, Stop falling back on property taxes as a source of revenue. All it produces is a ill-will among residents who will continually ask more for their money. Pay more, get more. But pissing the money away is far from the answer. Get your poop together and start using common sense.
Glenn, Glenn,Glenn
“…start using common sense.”
You do realize your talking about bloodsucking politicians, right?
Ole Skippy and his merry band of democrats NEVER MISS ANY OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE TAXES! But I would like to express my support (NOT) for Ole Skippy. A few years ago county commissioners gave themselves a 50% increase in salary. Then two years ago the High Point City Council members gave themselves an 88% increase in pay. I spoke at a council meeting saying that their 88% raise made Guilford’ democrats look like conservatives.
Of course neither needed any raises. BOTH raises remind me of fat hogs eating at the trough of public tax money. No matter how much they gorge themselves, they continue to eat, get fat. lazy, and are unable to think of anything except how to get more food (taxes).
It looks as though we have 3 choices. 1. No change. Simple majority to approve a tax increase. 2. Push for 2/3 or 3/4 members of the city council or county Board to approve a tax increase. 3. Push for 2/3 or 3/4 of voters to approve a tax increase. I vote for the 2/3 requirement in OPTION 3. This should apply to ALL TAXES including Sales tax, property tax, fees and any other type of tax INCLUDING 2/3 bonds. Government is allowed to issue new bonds (DEBT) once 2/3 or an approved bond has been paid back. This allows government to continue to borrow money with absolutely NO ACCOUNTABILITY or REQUIREMENT TO SEEK VOTER APPROVAL. THIS MUST STOP! Why would we give elected officials the ability to put citizens deeper and deeper in debt without getting their approval?
As a reminder, a NC judge said that Guilford County Commissioners and the Guilford County School Board ILLEGALLY worked together to get voters to approve the $1.7B school bond referendum. But the judge said their ILLEGAL actions were okay because 60% of voters approved the referendum. Alan Branson spent his own money to fight for every resident of Guilford County. If he runs for ANY OFFICE, I WILL SUPPORT HIM. He was there for us and we need to be there for him.
By the way, that $1.7B school bond money must be spent within 10 years from the date it was approved and MUST be repaid within 20 years of when the money is actually spent. That means that a child born TODAY, will still be paying for this bond until they are 30 years old with kids of their own.
One other point, the county now projects that public school enrollment will DECREASE BY 5,000 students in the next few years. If that is THEIR PROJECTION, WHY DO WE NEED TO BUILD MORE SCHOOLS FOR A DWINDLING SCHOOL POPULATION? I bet the School Board does not have an answer for that.
Amen Ken, now, get a majority of VOTERS to vote for it. Blessings
Careful ken-legal,
As was pointed out to someone else earlier, you may find yourself on the enemies list of the Board of Commissars and the Board of Non-education for wanting to kill the source of Golden Eggs.
Of course this ANNUAL HABIT NOW, of raising the property taxes should be a part of a legal challenge as well. We the people have to spend additional funds to protect our rights against this “bad habit”. SPEND SPEND SPEND as though it is a free for all for crying out loud. Just outrageous.
And one more time! No sympathy at all for Guilford County Property Owners on this potential tax increase! Wasn’t it you that voted for these wasteful fools on our Guilford County Board of Commissioners including it’s head Clown Skip Alston? Year after year? Or did you not vote at all? Remember when ever you are pointing a finger at a problem, you have three pointing right back at you! Try it and then think about voting wisely in the next election!
Is it just me or has Greensboro become Trashboro? Everywhere you go the streets are lined with trash. Market, Wendover, Hill, Battleground, Church, Cone, Freemill, everywhere. What is going on? Surely the city has a program to remove trash from the streets.
Not quite Jim, they are giving it all to the Board of Non-Education except for that goes to their pet NGOs.
I read recently that Greensboro was selected to participate as a Smart City. This really surprised me! This may be why they are continually raising our taxes! Normal middle-class homeowners cannot afford this excessive tax!! This needs to be looked into.
Greensboro/ Guilford County has gone the way of so many other mid sized locales who voted with the virtue signaling lefties. Follow the money, the NGO-NPO’s are the usual route to launder money back to your favorite politicians in charge, in the form of campaign contributions and hiring friends or relatives.