At a special called afternoon meeting on Thursday, June 25, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners approved a county budget that raises the county’s property tax rate by 5.9 cents.
All seven Democratic commissioners voted in favor of the budget while the board’s two Republicans – Commissioners Alan Perdue and Pat Tillman – voted against it.
Several Democratic commissioners acknowledged that they didn’t enjoy raising taxes but said the county’s financial obligations left them with little choice. They argued that rising costs, state and federal funding reductions and continued investments in county services made the increase necessary.
Perdue and Tillman countered that families across Guilford County have had to tighten their own budgets and said county government should have done the same. Both praised County Manager Victor Isler, the Budget Department and other county staff for their work on the spending plan, but said they couldn’t support a tax increase of nearly 6 cents.
The tax increase was set at 5.9 cents per $100 of assessed value rather than an even 6 cents for the same reason items in stores are priced at $5.99 instead of $6 – because, well, it sounds better.
One source familiar with the commissioners’ budget process said that, while a 5.9-cent increase would pass, it seemed unlikely the board could find five votes for a 6-cent increase.
The current tax rate is 73.05 cents per $100 dollars of assessed values; the new one will be 78.95 cents.in a few days.
Democratic commissioners emphasized the services and investments included in the budget but made little mention during deliberations of appropriations that include $200,000 for the International Civil Rights Center & Museum and about $1.8 million set aside for grants to nonprofit organizations, including museums and other groups – like the athletic booster club of the high school one of the commissioners attended. Some of those non-profits will be ones that practically no one has ever heard of.
For Greensboro property owners, the county’s increase comes shortly after the Greensboro City Council approved a 12.6-cent property tax hike, meaning many city residents will see a combined local property tax increase of 18.5 cents.
Commissioners adopted the budget just days before the July 1 deadline after the North Carolina General Assembly passed Senate Bill 889 late in the budget process. The law required counties that completed reappraisals for 2026 to calculate their budgets using prior property values instead of the new revaluation.
The county tax rate remained unchanged following the 2022 revaluation even though higher property values generated substantially more tax revenue from much higher tax bills. That revaluation amounted to a “hidden” 14-cent tax increase – likely the largest in county history and certainly in this century.
The adopted General Fund budget totals just over $889.2 million.
According to county officials, the budget was designed to replace lost state and federal revenue, absorb inflationary cost increases, continue funding school construction, provide employee raises and make several capital investments.
One of the clearest examples involves Food and Nutrition Services administration – a program that used to be known as food stamps. Cuts in that program at the federal level are having a real impact at the county level.
Federal reimbursement for administering Food and Nutrition Services has been reduced from 50 percent to 25 percent – creating what county leaders call a $3.1 million annual unfunded mandate revenue loss.
Also, county officials say that new federal requirements are increasing workload demands.
County officials state that the higher tax rate will cost the owner of a median-valued Guilford County home, valued at $171,600, about $8.44 more per month.
They don’t mention that that comes to $101.28 per year. Nor do they point out that it will cost the owner of a $350,000 house $209.65 more this year.
And if that $171,600 house is in Greensboro, then the combined city and county tax increase would be $318 and change. For the owner of a $350,000 house in Greensboro, the tax increase will be $647.50 this year.
Under the new tax rates for both the city and the county, the owner of a $350,000 house in Greensboro will get a bill from Tax Director Ben Chavis for $5,558.80 this year.
County officials said that one factor behind the tax increase was approximately $7.5 million in lost state and federal revenue. That includes the $3.1 million reduction in federal reimbursement for administering the Food and Nutrition Services program and another $4.4 million in lost revenue related to Senate Bill 889.
Like the members of the Greensboro City Council, Guilford County officials cited inflation as a significant factor in this year’s budget – pointing to higher costs for fuel, utilities, healthcare, foster care, detention operations and other mandated county services.
The county also noted that longer detention stays have increased jail operating costs, including higher food expenses.
The budget reduces the county’s planned use of fund balance – savings, that is – by $5 million and includes more than $3.7 million in reductions to departmental operating budgets in an effort to offset part of the increased spending. The board is still dipping into the county’s savings account, which the board has been doing for the last half decade. It’s just that this year they are taking out less savings than the manager’s budget recommended.
The spending plan provides a 3 percent merit-based pay program for county employees and funds seven new positions. County officials said additional investments will focus on public safety and health-related positions, including deputy sheriffs, detention officers, paramedics and nurses. The budget also provides additional funding requested by rural fire districts for staffing and operations.
Under the new budget, the County Attorney’s Office will get two new attorneys – rather than the four in the manager’s recommended budget – bringing that number to 17 attorneys. (Several weeks ago, the Rhino Times misread last year’s budget and reported erroneously that the County Attorney’s Office had 24 attorneys. The Rhino Times regrets the error.)
A lot of the work being done in the attorney’s office is for foreclosures – that is, cases where the owners can’t pay their property taxes.
Education remains the county’s largest single area of spending. Guilford County Schools will receive $288.1 million for operating expenses during the coming fiscal year, an increase of $5.6 million, or about 2 percent, over the current budget.
The new budget also includes an additional $26.9 million in property tax revenue for debt service on voter-approved school construction bonds. The total property tax set aside for school debt is $72.87 million.. School projects underway include, among others, work at Erwin Montessori, Sternberger, Sumner, Allen Jay, Swann, Lindley, Northwood, Shadybrook, Northwest Middle, Joyner, Bessemer and Millis Road, while several new schools have already been completed through the bond program.
Guilford Technical Community College will receive $20 million for operating expenses in the new fiscal 2026-2027 budget, an increase of about $300,000. The budget also establishes $57.4 million in project ordinances for workforce-related capital projects supporting aviation, advanced manufacturing, health sciences and biotech workforce programs.
The budget also authorizes several capital projects, including $15 million for deferred maintenance and improvements at county parks, $10 million for a Women’s and Children’s Residential Recovery Center and $1.5 million for improvements at the Greensboro Courthouse.
Other spending includes continued funding for the county’s Tenant Education, Advocacy and Mediation Program, about $3.1 million for technology upgrades and replacement of county computer systems, and $500,000 to continue food security and Family Justice Center programs that had previously been financed with federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.
This happens all the time with local governments: Federal dollars fund programs for a few years and then, when the money runs out, those local governments continue the programs, making them permanent additions to county or city governments.
The budget takes effect July 1.
Well there you have it. Property tax for my 255 k house now equals two social security checks. Not to mention income tax, sales tax, and other various stipends I’m privileged to send to government. It will be time for serious belt tightening.
WHY? – “$200,000 for the International Civil Rights Center & Museum and about $1.8 million set aside for grants to nonprofit organizations, including museums and other groups – like the athletic booster club of the high school one of the commissioners attended. Some of those non-profits will be ones that practically no one has ever heard of.”
Each individual, group and museum shall have accountability to the taxpayers of Guilford County. If not how do we, the taxpayers know that our money is being properly spent on the group, museum and individual said money was meant for and not pocketed like “ Cure for violence “ was?
WHY $200,000 for the International Civil Rights Center & Museum? If Skippy was not chair would this place receive any money?
The Civil Rights Museum.Money Pit from day one.
Only people paying the property taxes should be able to vote for the bills that raise our taxes.Skip Alston will never be voted out of office,and I have lived in Greensboro long enough to know this,however,projects that raise my mortgage payment,should not be decided by someone who does not now pay a mortgage
I can assure you the money is not being properly spent. I don’t have a problem with the civil Rights museum but why does it need $200,000 a year to upkeep basically a lunch counter. I think the main problem is that Skip needs to go. The problem starts at the top and he has been in that position for many years and he is not even had an opponent when he runs for office. God please somebody run against this man.
The Coven of Vampires Lead by Skip the Omnipotent,
“Several Democratic commissioners acknowledged that they didn’t enjoy raising taxes but said the county’s financial obligations left them with little choice.”
MALE BOVINE DROPPINGS!!!
“The tax increase was set at 5.9 cents per $100 of assessed value rather than an even 6 cents for the same reason items in stores are priced at $5.99 instead of $6 – because, well, it sounds better.”
If that does not tell you the taxpayer what is thought of you by some people, well…….
Here is the one paragraph that should really set blood boiling…
“Democratic commissioners emphasized the services and investments included in the budget but made little mention during deliberations of appropriations that include $200,000 for the International Civil Rights Center & Museum and about $1.8 million set aside for grants to nonprofit organizations, including museums and other groups – like the athletic booster club of the high school one of the commissioners attended. Some of those non-profits will be ones that practically no one has ever heard of.”
First off, I know what All Knowing Chris is going to say…’it’s just a small percentage’. Allow me to add to your (self believing) vast sum of knowledge…Death by a thousand cuts. Second, can anybody be more in-your-face then this particular Commissar? Scott, why didn’t you publish their name?
Oh, and BTW Chris, where is it you live again?
“Under the new budget, the County Attorney’s Office will get two new attorneys…” and what are they needed for?
“A lot of the work being done in the attorney’s office is for foreclosures – that is, cases where the owners can’t pay their property taxes.” In other words, the peasants are being required to finance their own punishment forced on them by the Board of Commissars. Can you say self induced flagellation?
“The new budget also includes an additional $26.9 million in property tax revenue for debt service on voter-approved school construction bonds. The total property tax set aside for school debt is $72.87 million.. School projects underway include, among others, work at Erwin Montessori, Sternberger, Sumner, Allen Jay, Swann, Lindley, Northwood, Shadybrook, Northwest Middle, Joyner, Bessemer and Millis Road, while several new schools have already been completed through the bond program.”
Been completed over how long a period? And how many of those ‘voters’ still live here? Remember, transit, floating ‘residents’ live here, graduate and move on, leaving us to pay the bill they imposed on us. And what about that $2,000,000,000.00 (2 BILLION) you, the school board, are reported to be sitting on.
I won’t get into the $200,000.00 Skip ordered his willing thralls to approve for his personal, next to no visitors monument downtown. It really is a drop in the bucket, but it’s the principal of the thing. Something Skip the Omnipotent has none of.
Finally…
“This happens all the time with local governments: Federal dollars fund programs for a few years and then, when the money runs out, those local governments continue the programs, making them permanent additions to county or city governments.”
Here’s a really radical thought…when the Federal dollars stop, so do the programs.
Oh, and a public announcement from the Board of County Commissars and the High Council of Greensboro…the shearing station locations will be published soon. YOU WILL OBEY!
Signed
The Sons of Liberty
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So a low income family living in an average house in Greensboro will have to find Five and a half Grand to give to the city & county.
Or lose their home.
It’s obscene. Just obscene greed. And the Left perpetually says that Capitalism* is greed. But no-one in the free market has ever held a gun to my head and demanded that I hand over Thousands of my hard earned Dollars.
The free market systems rests on freedom and voluntary choices.
The Government and The Parasitic Sector rests on an indisputable crime : robbery.
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* “Capitalism” is a term created by Karl Marx. The more accurate and honest term is “The Free Market system”.
At some point, the county, the city, and especially the school board need to face a harsh reality: you cannot squeeze blood from a turnip.
I have lots of things I would love to fund—some I have been dreaming about for decades—but as with most of us, life gets in the way, and we must consider our ability to fund versus our desire to fund. Listening to officials whine about all the items they will not be able to fund was an insult to every hardworking taxpayer in this county.
Think about the backward logic being used here. If any of us ran our households this way, we would sit down every year, make a wish list of everything we want—new cars, a fourth home remodel, a couple of cruises, and a massive bump in our kids’ allowance—total it up, and demand that our employers pay it. We would be laughed out of the room, if not fired on the spot.
In the real world, families have to live within their means. It is time for this board to stop treating our hard-earned income like your personal blank check
Very well said. None of these people know the difference between wants and needs!!
So well said! Unfortunately gravity causes things to flow down hill, like this crap !
“A lot of the work being done in the attorney’s office is for foreclosures – that is, cases where the owners can’t pay their property taxes.”
So, let’s raise the property tax and use it to hire more attorney’s office staffing to handle the resulting case load increase, due to the additional property owners who will be unable to pay their higher property taxes.
Absolutely crazy people still vote the Dems back in only to see them lose their home.
It’s a disgrace, but not an unexpected one.
Time to start looking at the tax exempt real estate in the city/county and change a few rules. I’d personally like to see all the mega-churches in the area start chipping in a little…
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So would I.
The churches incessantly bleat about supporting the fabric of our society – but don’t even pay their taxes!
Talk is cheap.
Taxes are not.
Sadly no surprises here. At least two commissioners had the gonads to vote no. The deep blue bobbleheads of course voted as Skip wished. Not one commissioner voted for any budget reductions and the voting citizens seem to be content with both county and city ” leaders”.
I guess I’ll laugh at the TV adds asking me to ” fill the bus” for the school kids to have supplies. I’ll also laugh at the ads requesting baby diapers, food and clothes for newborns whose parent or parents can’t afford to purchase said items.
$200k for a racist museum. $1.8 mil for non profits. It goes on and on.
The BS gets deeper and deeper but I still have a vote….if it’s counted.
The two that voted no knew the votes but do a show vote so their constituents think they are on their side. City council does the same thing. The “conservatives” vote no for show. Political theater.
Emperor Skippy strikes again. And thinks that we are so stupid that we do not know that 5.9 cents is 6 cents for all practical purposes??
Also, no one mentions that this is an EIGHT PERCENT INCREASE!!!!!
Want this to stop? VOTE REPUBLICAN!
As long as Emperor Skippy is in charge, property taxes will keep going up. And his Democrat minions make it possible.
Welcome to Socialism. Tax and spend.
We need someone from outside of Guilford County to come in and check into all of these fraudulent nonprofits that Skippy boy is funding with our money! Not only that but that money pit of a museum that nobody visits needs to be shut down. We all know how skip pocketed money the first go around from that ridiculous museum when it was first opened, so how do we know he’s not pocketing the money now. Of course he is but how do we prove it. He sits on the boards of most of these nonprofits and isn’t it awful funny that the ones getting our money are the majority of the ones that he sits on. Nonprofits that nobody has heard of and has no clue what they do. More than likely it’s just an empty storefront with a sign on it. Somebody needs to come in and audit this County and these nonprofits. Our money should not be thrown away like it is. They need to stop giving money to non-profits and put it into our EMS and our sheriff’s department and our fire departments. Let the nonprofits get their money from donations. It is not my place to find a nonprofit that I’m never going to use and nobody I know is going to use. These nonprofits are a scam. It’s just a way for people to pad their pockets, namely Skippy boy. I really want to know where my money is going because it’s not going to anything that’s needed. We need somebody to come in here and get the books that they hide and go over every dime that this county is blowing. Because that’s what they’re doing with our money. They’re blowing it. There is no reason that much money needs to go into a non-profit. There is no reason that much money should go into that pit of the museum downtown that nobody gives a rat’s rear about. Nobody goes to that thing. The only reason the schools go is because the Guilford County commissioners badger them into taking field trips there. Nobody cares about that museum at all. Our commissioners are stealing from everyone of us and it’s time we stand up and stop it. It’s past time.
Seems like the STATE AUDITORS office would be a good place to start.
Is there a method by which the citizens of Guilford County can have a recall of the county commissioners and elect a new set of commissioners who are willing to stop continual property tax increases and develop a realistic budget?
The 1954 Internal Revenue Code is the federal tax law that codified the legal framework for tax-exempt nonprofit organizations in the United States. It has grown into a system of fraud and a legal way to avoid income taxes and taxes on donations. While the 1954 code codified exempt income tax, NC added exemption from property taxes. Regardless of the size of property owned by the Woolworth Museum, Skippy and the museum will never pay property taxes. The same is true of country clubs, retirement facilities (and most nursing homes), mosques, churches, synagogues and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organization.) The list goes on and on.
The services provided to nonprofits continue without payment for services; police protection, use of streets, schools, and government services. Who pays the property taxes for the services that nonprofits, non-profits do not pay for? You and me. And we pay higher and higher property taxes.
Since the NC legislature decides nonprofit property tax status, the effort to end this scam of avoiding property taxes starts in Raleigh. Nonprofits have grown into big business. There are organizations set up to educate nonprofits on how to maximize contributions and there are lobbyists in Raleigh paid for by nonprofits to assure that the nonprofit gravy train stays on track. A list of NC profits can be found at: https://ncnonprofits.org/members/member-directory.
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TermLimits is right. This is effectively tax evasion by self-declared do-gooders.
And “Non Profit” really just means “Non Tax Paying”, so they’re getting a free ride on our backs.
To Term Limits: Thank you very much for the NC non profit link. I selected Guilford County and I just scanned over 3 pages and on the 3rd page I found this: “Facing Forward” their statement: “To help individuals with congentital or acquired facial or physical differences cope with staring and communicate with confidence, control and courage.” As you dig deeper, they are just actually helping other “non-profits” to obtain information on how to obtain money, how to ensure they are complying with “race” issues, etc. No where on the website does it indicate HOW they help individuals who are dealing with their “mission statement.” This is the percentage of “expenses” for 23-24 Budget as stated on their website:
55%-Salaries & Wages; 11%-Payroll Taxes; 8% Consultants; 6%-Office & Related; 4%-Meeting; 16%-Other Expenses
Total Expenses: 100%
IMHO, this so called “non-profit” is not doing anything to help anyone except the ones on their payroll. Please tell me, according to their own financials, where are they spending any money to assist the individuals as stated in their own mission statement? NO WHERE! This ‘non profit” should be reviewed and shut down. IN addition, this could very easily be one of the so called “non profits” which our County commissioners are funding!
I didn’t delve into all of the listing for Guilford County however I am sure you will find some listed on there! And the article was correct, most of them you never heard of before!
I know this was a bit off topic, but I feel the same way as most people do on here about the county commissioner’s and the chair person, “Skip” Alston. He is the problem as are the other dems on the board. Until they are replaced with fiscally responsible persons, nothing will change and the old same routine will continue…TAX & SPEND
The process for funding NGO’s and other nonprofit institutions should be audited, not just for use of the money but for a number of other parameters. Thank you TERMLIMITS for the useful information. Your link is very helpful for furthering this discussion. In defense of the Civil Rights Museum, I must say that it is one of the more attractive establishments on S. Elm Street and people do visit. I own property in Downtown and my property revaluation was utterly unrealistic in the value I will most likely be taxed on next year. If somebody offered me the amount, I would sell this very day. I will probably never get the revaluation amount on the the market for the next decade or more, especially with current mortgage rates. I bought in Downtown because of my belief in progress of the development of the area. The Museum, development on S. Elm near Gate City Boulevard, and Roy Carroll’s projects have been encouraging. The surge in homelessness, business closures, vandalism, crime, and a stall in the upward momentum of Downtown lately is sad and discouraging. Nevertheless, I still enjoy my home, and would enjoy it even more if the Tanger Center was more like DPAC (but save that for another time). My main concern with NGO’s is not the Museum and such, but rather human service organizations that take advantage of the system, and in effect, harm the very people they claim to help by providing little to no real services. The money would be better spent on public safety and schools (which still represent the only source of positive socialization that many of our impoverished children in GSO ever get in life).
The Socialist hit-man, again.
Confiscation of private property. Communism.
Require a non-profit that receives taxpayer funding to open their accounting to public review.
.
All the smug Non-Profit schtick comes from the erroneous belief that profit is evil – which is a Marxist assertion.
Profit is the creation of wealth where none existed before.
Another non-profit list to ponder.
https://www.causeiq.com/directory/
It’s come to my attention there are numerous jurisdictions around the country that will apply a property tax freeze at previous levels for seniors ( of which I am one, 70 ) that are living in their only or principal residence. I wonder if this could gain any traction in Guilford. Possibly one of the republican commissioners could look at this. In many cases revaluation is catching folks in blanket increases when many seniors live in houses that haven’t been improved or upgraded in 20, 30 or even 40 years.
Few years ago the federal ARPA funds were a terrific windfall – how were they invested for long term benefit?
The increase in A.V. Assessed Value and tax rates are outrageous, and council comments pathetic — oh — they made me do it. County needs to promptly comply with public record requests as often they financial value.
How much did council members pay themselves in last calendar year and fiscal year? REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER 2026 AND 2028 — FIVE OF THEM COULD FILE DECEMBER 2027 FOR NOV 2028 ELECTION.
Thursday county also read into the budget that Guilford County has terminated the agreement with Town of Summerfield for “water tower” and will restore the unused ARPA funds to the county (reported for ARPA for similar or comparable project completed by 12.31.26.) ARPA grant was $5.5 million and town spent $1++ million and not able to complete project by required 12/31/2026. Town refuses to disclose how much $$$ are left as town will not comply for one year (or more) with Public Record Requests (council unanimous total secrecy). Town did not meet requirements specific in the finance form such as easement approvals by April 2025! It was clear town was not meeting ARPA requirements but county kept pouring money into a project for past years and more. County wasting $1-2++million while clearly town not in legal compliance with ARPA. If county had complied with Public Record Request four years ago, and citizen participation, they could have saved a couple million. Maybe county needs people with Math 101 skills and not more lawyers. Summerfield is government in the closet and run like private company. How many law firms and lawyers are billing summerfield? Less money for everything to finance their attorney hiring frenzy.