Recently, both the Greensboro city manager and the Guilford County manager proposed fiscal 2025-2026 budgets that call for no increase in the property tax rate, and it looks like that will actually be the case in June when the Greensboro City Council and the Guilford County Board of Commissioners adopt their final budgets.
The new budgets will likely include no tax rate increase so your tax bill should look the same as last year’s when it arrives in mid-to-late July.
And the good news about next year, when the City Council and the Board of Commissioners adopt new budgets for fiscal 2026-2027, is that it’s almost unimaginable that either the city or the county will increase the tax rate then either.
That’s the good news.
The bad news is that, unlike this year, next year’s property tax bills are likely to be much, much larger.
That’s because Guilford County is currently conducting a revaluation of all the property in the county and, on average, those values are going to be a lot higher than they were in 2022 – the last time there was a countywide revaluation. And those higher property values are going to mean that, even if the tax rates stay where they are for the city and the county, tax bills for property owners across Guilford County are almost certain to be much heftier.
Early in 2025, preliminary numbers from the Guilford County Tax Department showed that, on average, the value of property in the county – houses, buildings and land – had gone up by 47 percent since the last revaluation. That was in January and the final assessed values will be fixed on the last day of 2025 and be revealed soon after that. During a county commissioners’ retreat several months ago, Guilford County Tax Director Ben Chavis told the Board of Commissioners that the number could change before the end of the year.
Chavis told the Rhino Times this week that the number – the 47 percent average price increase for property in Guilford County – seemed to still be about the same level that it was earlier in the year.
Chavis has also said that some categories of property have seen their values grow at a rate higher than other types of property. For instance, the growth in value of housing in Guilford County has been more than in most categories.
Given all that, it’s a pretty good rule of thumb that, next year, you can expect to see the Guilford County Tax Department valuing your house 50 percent higher than its current assessed value.
And next year will be one of those years the City Council and the Board of Commissioners love – years that give those boards a chance to implement a giant “hidden” tax increase on property owners simply by leaving the tax rates the same.
In fact, for Guilford County, the 2025-2026 budget about to be adopted next month, is really just a “bridge” budget – it’s something to help the county keep its head barely above water financially as it treads across the 12-month period from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. Then the revaluation will mean the commissioners can access an astounding amount of new revenue without changing the tax rate.
An average homeowner in Guilford County, if the property tax rate remains the same, can expect their house to be valued at 50 percent higher. Therefore, under the current rate, their tax bill will be 50 percent higher. The city may or may not adjust the tax rate lower next year to help out the property owners in Greensboro; however, the scary thing is that Guilford County’s tax rate is paid by all property owners in the county and Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston has repeatedly told the Rhino that county residents should not expect to see a lowering of the tax rate in 2026.
Alston points out that the current numbers from the Tax Department are just an “average,” which means some people’s property values may have only gone up, say, 30 percent.
That’s true; however, it also means some taxpayers’ property may have gone up, say, 65 percent in assessed value.
The chairman also pointed out that the county has a great deal of needs right now. For instance, he said, voters approved $2 billion in school bond money in recent years and that all has to be paid back, with interest. And, by the way, it looks like that payback interest rate will end up being a lot higher than county finance officials anticipated when the bonds were put on the ballot and interest rates were extremely low.
“There has also been inflation,” Alston said, adding that that meant the $2 billion for the schools won’t address all the projects voters hoped the money would cover.
Also, while the Board of Commissioners has repeatedly reached into the county’s savings account to pay for larger and larger budgets in recent years, Guilford County simply cannot continue to do so because the county’s savings account is currently, for the first time in this century and probably long before that, below the bare minimum safety level set as a rule of good governance by State of North Carolina finance officials.
Alston told the Rhino Times that, if voters approve the sales tax initiative that will be on the ballot in early 2026, perhaps the county would have the financial leeway to offer some relief by lowering the property tax rate.
While Alston has managed to keep the Democratic commissioners in line on almost all votes in recent years, there could be a breaking point next year if the chairman really wants to keep the tax rate the same.
It is simply inconceivable that, with Guilford County property taxes already as high as they are, next July the county would send out property bills that are on average 50 percent higher.
Alston almost always gets his way; however, Alston never has to worry about being reelected in his district. Most of the other Democrats on the board don’t enjoy that luxury, and a 50 percent average property tax bill hike, which, again, might be a 65 percent increase for some, would seem likely to be political suicide for those who vote for it.
Republican Commissioner Pat Tillman told the Rhino Times recently that not lowering the tax rate if property valuations come in as expected is unthinkable. But there are only two Republicans on the board and so far the Democratic-led majority board has shown no mercy for the taxpayers. After the 2022 revaluation, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners didn’t reduce the tax rate at all – even though the revaluation brought in more than $90 million extra. That meant property owners saw tax bills go up by 25 or 30 percent or even higher.
The commissioners have been collecting that additional money annually since the last revaluation.
Alston said the county needs more revenue; however, if things continue heading in this direction, tensions might be high enough to break up what has been, in recent years, Alston’s solid-as-a-rock seven-member voting bloc on the nine-member board.
There is one city job in which the pay scale should be re-visited. This job requires the employee to work one day and be off two days, but yet the employee is paid a full years salary, benefits, longevity pay, vacation pay, sick days and retirement. They are paid when they are doing nothing, watching tv, talking on the phone, playing basketball, washing their car,eating , sleeping, cooking etc.
Shouldn’t the pay criteria be re-visited?
AND they are there when we need them. Priceless!
Johnny, I know you have a problem with firemen ( personally I have the upmost respect for them) but again this article is about the county taxpayers bills next year. Not he city of Greensboro
No I do not have a problem with them, I do have a problem with the media over exaggerating the job 100 times more than it really is. They make it sound like when they punch in on a 24 hour shift they have fire in their face blazing all day long until the shift is over then they go home. This is not true, 98% of firefighters have never been to a serious fire or being in a life-threatening situation. Most of their time is spent doing absolutely nothing, and they get paid top dollar for it.
It’s just a job, it’s not more important than anybody else’s job, and I wish the media would just stop with it. I’m not saying they’re not times when they work hard, but the job is grossly overrated.
So you’re advocating for paying the people who walk into burning buildings LESS?
Things would be better if the “big spenders” (aka, city council, commissioners, and their private interest supporters) would stop thinking the citizens pockets are full of cash.
Why not start by eliminating the hand-outs to so-called non-profits, which are nothing more than a gift by our elected politicians to those who work in the weeds to get their political allies re-elected. . . like the deceased Yvonne Johnson who always seemed to get money for her “causes”, many of which were family members.
Why not post a list of these so-called non-profits who apply for “assistance” and have them give the city council a list of their achievements before each budget, which would have resulted from the “handouts”. Would be interesting to see where their money was spent, and who got what amount.
Many on the list are private individuals or race related who beg for money without accountability to the taxpayers. Blame our county commissioners and city council for their neglect of ALL citizens of this county but only cater, without accountability to the taxpayers.
The Parasites become greedier every year.
Guilford County Citizens,
It sounds like it’s time for a 250 year reset. Find the nearest body of water and fill it with tea!
“No taxation without representation”
My taxes in High Point went up 36% after the 2022 revaluation. $2,200 to $3,000 for a 1,700 sq. ft. house on 1/3 acre. That was after I disputed the assessment and they gave me a “break”. I owned a house in southern New York state in the 1990’s and never had that kind of increase. Democrats spend and then tax, every. single. time. And every time they spend, they use other peoples money. Want lower taxes? Vote Republican.
Responsible enterprises and institutions start the budgeting process by determining what they need to do, assessing how much it will cost to get it accomplished, and governing themselves accordingly.
Skip and his Progressive acolytes start with “how much money can we grab”, then determine how to piddle it away.
Time for a change. Progressives advocate a “wealth tax” as a means to address “inequity”, as they define it (those who contribute the most, get the most in return). Since our personal residences are the largest single source of “wealth” for most taxpayers, this is the perfect mechanism for them to address their prime imperative – “redistribution”.
So Skip Alston dangling “If you pass the sales tax” carrot ( that they have been trying shove at us for years)…..MAYBE they won’t raise property taxes as much…….
Look for a large exodus from Guilford County in the next few years.
Property Owners are voters, at least we should be!
Get out of Guilford County! If I can do it, so can you.
I wonder if the county commissioner’s have ever thought they could save the taxpayer money by becoming more efficient! I am positive a very reputable efficiency consultant could do wonders for the taxpayer! When Private industry isn’t performing as well as their stockholders want they cut costs and that likely means layoffs! Last week a read a company announced 3,000 employees would be laid off. No one wants to be laid off, but it happens all the time in the real world!! What makes cities, counties, and states different??? Its the taxpayers money!! Did Guilford County not just get 90 million plus in additional revenue two years ago?? Plus there are new buildings and housing developments going up all over the county which means even more in new revenue!! When is it enough??
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There is never enough, Jim. In 2019 after nine years of continuous government by the British “Conservative” Party, the overall tax burden in the UK was the highest it had been since World War II. Then COVID hit. When a huge recession begins there are basically two macroeconomic policy options : cut taxes drastically to stimulate the economy, or embark on massive government spending in an attempt to stimulate the economy.
The political Right favors the former. The political Left, the latter.
The “Conservative” Party – being a party of the Left – chose to borrow and spend huge amounts of money, under the then Chancellor, Rishi Sunak. They cut not a single penny of taxes.
This created a mountain of public debt and exploded the debt service charges (annual interest payments on the debt). This caused the same party (and the same man, now Prime Minister Sunak) to jack up taxes to pay for it.
Then Sunak threw the July 2024 General Election, returning a Labour Government with an impregnable majority.
The first thing they did was to jack up taxes (to new all time highs).
The British people are serfs who are permitted to retain only a fraction of the wealth they produce. They are only permitted that so they will stay on the hamster wheel, generating income for the state.
The Parasitic Sector is the embodiment of rapacious, unquenchable greed – as we are learning here.
Are any of the comissioners up for re-election this fall? If so, they should be asked where they stand on the looming tax increase. The preliminary numbers from the tax office have given them enough information to state a position.
With progressives, it is never enough. Look at your schools, dumbed down but loads of money. Who benefits? All the assistants etc. The kids are still dumber than a box of rocks. Check your pet projects. Council members and their family members make a great living off of your taxes. Plenty of money and zero accountability. Same for the county. Just look at the list Skippy just released. And you ask why vote Republican? You certainly like high taxes and waste and the grifters thank you.
The 2 billion school bond won’t cover all of the projects hoped for………..
More like it won’t cover all of th Graft hoped for……….
County Commissioners enrich the county coffers like a mob boss. The Boss sits in his office, smoking a cigar and the money comes rolling in. Time is on his side, Father Time, yes, such a friend. The Boss waits for revaluation time to rake in more and more money. The money increases his power to waste more and more. The Boss’ underlings do nothing. They have been neutered or spayed; that keeps them in their place. The Boss has no incentives to mend his ways because the deck is stacked against the property owners because they, too, have been neutered or spayed by the NC Legislature; apathetic Guilford County property owners who do not vote, even at their own peril; and the overwhelming non property owners who vote for commissioners and bonds, which include those benefiting from a nonprofit status. It is now time to find another way to finance county governments other than on the backs of tax paying property taxpayers. If you DO NOT pay property taxes, you are getting a free ride off the backs of those who do. Time to eliminate property taxes; the only REAL SOLUTION.
And people wonder why I am so ready to say farewell to Nancy Vaughn and the City Council, as well as the majority of Guilford Co. Commissioners!