It’s interesting that Guilford County is now working with Forsyth County to find out exactly where the county line is, because several years ago, after Guilford County endured a huge battle with Alamance County over that county line, it seemed almost certain that the Rockingham County line – which is also in dispute – would be next.
Apparently, Rockingham County will go on Guilford County’s to do list while the Forsyth County line issue is worked out first.
At the Guilford County Board of Commissioners’ meeting on Thursday, Feb. 15, the board unanimously gave county staff approval to work with state surveyors and with Forsyth County officials to resolve the dispute over the border separating the two counties.
Guilford County Tax Director Ben Chavis spoke to the board regarding the need to move forward on the issue. Both counties must agree to call the state surveyors in, and Chavis informed the board that the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners had approved a resolution to do so earlier this month – so a vote of approval by the Guilford County commissioners would now get the ball rolling.
Chavis told the board that the county needed to ask the state to “survey, mark and map” exactly where the county line is.
As with Guilford County’s line shared with Alamance County, over the years, markers have been moved and the memory of exactly where the line is has faded. That doesn’t matter so much when the land is just woods or pastures with a low assessed property values and with little need for, say, emergency services.
However, as those areas see more and more development, the value increases, as does the need for services, and those property owners of course need to know which counties to pay taxes to.
In the case of the Guilford County line with Alamance, some people got two tax bills for years and its possible some lucky land owners didn’t get any.
Once the state finds the exact line separating Guilford County from Forsyth County, property owners along that line will know what county they’re in.
Chavis told the board, “Myself and the tax assessor in Forsyth County are seeing the need to go ahead and get this survey done.”
Well, I hope they call on the State surveyors to find that ephemeral county line; I doubt the commissioners could find their collective a$$es with both hands and a flashlight….
Can’t wait to read about this up coming snafu. Anything for getting more tax dollars.
Can Forsyth include Guilford College?