The approval of 2023-2024 fiscal year budget for the City of Greensboro is on the agenda for the Tuesday, June 20 City Council meeting and it appears it will be approved with adjustments made at the Thursday, June 15 work session.
While the public hearing for the $749 million recommended budget was held on Tuesday, June 7, the public may comment on any item on the City Council agenda including the budget.
The 2023-2024 fiscal year budget recommended by City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba includes a 4 cent property tax increase, raising the property tax to 67.25 cents and an 8.5 percent increase in city water and sewer rates.
At the final budget work session on Thursday, June 15, Jaiyeoba recommended raising fees by $800,000. However, no breakdown of what fees were being raised to generate an additional $800,000 in revenue was listed and no city councilmember requested more information on the proposed fee increase.
The increase in fees was part of the recommendation made by Jaiyeoba to raise police starting salaries to $55,000 a year and starting salaries for city hourly employees to $18 an hour. The original recommended budget had police starting salaries at $52,400 a year despite the fact that the City Council had voted to increase police starting salaries to $57,000.
While the City Council does not usually take official votes at work sessions, the majority of the City Council expressed support for the changes proposed by Jaiyeoba to the original recommended budget.
One of those changes was to remove $600,000 for Participatory Budgeting from the budget.
Mayor Nancy Vaughan and Councilmembers Zack Matheny and Marikay Abuzuaiter expressed opposition to the budget with the 4 cent tax increase and police starting salaries below what the City Council had requested.
However, Councilmembers Yvonne Johnson, Nancy Hoffmann, Sharon Hightower, Tammi Thurm, Hugh Holston and Goldie Wells all expressed support for the revised recommended budget and that is more than enough votes to pass the recommended 2023-2024 fiscal year budget that will go into effect on July 1.
We have so many people that are on the edge of losing their home with last year’s increase and cost of necessities like groceries. Our homeless population in Greensboro is already extremely high. Council better have plenty in the budget for dealing with the additional homeless population and those needing food, shelter, medical services. The needs will go beyond pallets at a baseball field.
Where did the money from last year’s record breaking tax increase go? Show us where that went! Demand something from this manager to justify his blown up budget. What about next year? Too much missing information. What the Community really needs is a City Council that considers ALL of the citizens and the growing needs of all citizens. What the Community needs is a Council that monitors spending and identifies waste. Ms Thurm may think that the tax increase is what is best for the Community, but my bet is that she isn’t struggling to keep her house.
Had to bend over again so kiss my vote goodbye.
I’m going to start talking to some people about weather it’s a good idea to Primary Vaughn. I asked someone who heads one of the non profits in the city and they said that she didn’t want to betray the Mayor. But she’s not the one to lead a changing Greensboro into the future. Maybe time for a change
City you really don’t know anything about how elections work do you
Isn’t that what happend with Justin in the last election? Any chance that had was gone when the one GOP guy decided to run as a write-in.
Looked at your water bill lately? A primer for invoice-padding. Add another 8.5% increase.
Anyone get an after tax increase in pay of 8.5%? Our govt sez our inflation rate is 5-6%. Sure, baby. Any govt employees shop for themselves? Been to the grocery store lately? An exception would be wheat, down some 28% in last 12mo., but check out the prices for bread, cookies, crackers, pasta. So there is profiteering, too.
Our govt wants to make everyone poor, so that we will be dependent on Big Brother for all necessities (including your cell phone). Forget about owning or maintaining a car, or owning your home.
It’s been 1984 since……well, 1984.
Have you read about 15-minute cities? You won’t be needing a car, you can walk or bike. No flying, either.
Mr. Forester, you are correct about the water bill just look at the line that says billing and availability you’re charged once for water usage and then billing ,availability is charged again for your sewer usage. I called about that charge a few years ago and was told it was a charge to process and send out the bill. So the city charges twice to process your bill and send it out, what a way to fleece the taxpayer. Most people never pay attention to that small line item. And I don’t even get a paper bill mines done electronically what a crock
You’re right.
They’re trying to make us into serfs.
John they went over the user fees at the June 1 meeting. Were you there or did you forget? It was commercial recycling and garbage fees totaling $814,000 to help pay for the police salaries to $55,000.
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Being rid of Vaughan sounds like a good start but only a fraction of the job. I believe I recently read here Tammi Thurm complaining about not being able to actually view a copy of the budget but ahe didn’t have any problem voting for it along with another tax increase. But until taxpayers show up at budget comment time like school employees do the politicians will continue their ways. The prospect of a literal tax revolt would get their attention