The budget approved by the Greensboro City Council last week was historic, but the budget process was not.
Usually, the city manager presents his recommended budget to the City Council in May. The City Council holds several budget work sessions during which councilmembers mainly discuss the funding for their favorite nonprofit organizations and ignore the bulk of the budget.
That is essentially what happened this year despite the fact that the budget recommended by City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba, who was hired in February, included the highest property tax increase in Greensboro’s history.
The consensus on the City Council was that the nearly 12-cent property tax increase was too high. After all, it is an election year. So, by using some accounting sleight of hand and cutting close to $1 million from the Greensboro Police Department budget, Jaiyeoba reduced the proposed tax increase to about 9 cents without cutting spending other than from the GPD.
The City Council true to form added $225,000 in funding for three nonprofit organizations, and for seven members of the City Council that was enough to win their votes. Both Mayor Nancy Vaughan and District 3 Councilmember and mayoral candidate Justin Outling voted against approving the $689 million budget. But neither made motions to adjust the budget or reduce the proposed property tax increase.
Vaughan did state several times that she would like to see what a no tax increase budget would look like, but never made a motion to have one presented.
The City Council didn’t question the need for the city to add over 60 new employees or spend an additional $70 million over the 2021-2022 budget.
Nor did the City Council request a public explanation of why the manager did not follow the recommendation of the City Council and present a budget with a tax increase in the 3 cent to 4 cent range as had been discussed at the City Council retreat in March.
In short, the City Council treated the 2022-2023 budget with a property tax increase of about 30 percent the same way it has in the past dealt with budgets that had no tax increase.
While the 2022-2023 budget will be amended throughout the year, the tax rate is set by the passage of the budget and will not be altered.
Unfortunately, we the people have no say in who the council appoints as City Manager, and in this case, they really chose a dud. This guy is not good for Greensboro. I foresee awful things in the future.
Just a typical day in outer space for the incompetent, tax, spend and give away council. There is one easy solution:
VOTE THEM OUT! PLEASE! Alternatively, move.
It is frightening that elected government officials, with a lack of basic reading comprehension skills, are in positions to affect the financial health of so many families. RE their misunderstanding of simple city ordinances recently.
Vote the bums out! They make their own rules; whether right, legal, or not.
The new City Manager is a Nigerian socialist who believes that he can ignore what the elected members of the Council instruct him to do. He reckons he’s the Big Man in town now, you know, kinda like Robert Mugabe but without the totalitarian apparatus.
He facilitated a large BLM (Black Lives Matter) street mural in Charlotte. He must be very proud. Nevertheless, he nearly got fired there… so he came to Greensboro. Aren’t we lucky!
It should be up to individual tax payers as to what non-profits or charities that they donate too. I did not elect council members to decide for me.. The International Civil Rights Museum is a money pit and has always been one even with the millions of tax payer dollars donated to them. Several sitting council members benefit from the city budget for non-profits that they sit on and should be excluded on voting for the budget or funds going to those charities.
Taxpayer money should never be given to a nonprofit. Are the nonprofits the Greensboro City Council supported with taxpayer money tax-exempt? So, let us see. The nonprofit, if a 501 (c) (3), that is tax-exempt, receives taxpayer money that is tax-exempt. Who benefits from the gift to the nonprofit other than the nonprofit? It is my understanding that one of the donations went to a for-profit hotel (Historical Magnolia House). Why is taxpayer money being given to a for-profit hotel?
An individual taxpayer can reduce his/her tax liability, if itemizing, by donating to a tax-exempt organization of their choice, but the City of Greensboro raises property taxes to donate to a nonprofit that only benefits the nonprofit, and a nonprofit that the taxpayer may choose not to benefit by a donation.
Vote for write-in candidate, Chris Meadows.
Property tax increases increase the cost of everything especially HOUSING. IDIOTS!!!!
Yep. By next month the council will be complaining about the lack of affordable housing! And they’ll blame the free market!
On another note, as the economy slides us into a depression, and interest rates go up; you will see a big decline in property values. But we are stuck with the taxes.
The only way to stop it, and even reverse some of the damage, is to VOTE next week.
I agree that the answer is to vote but only if you are an informed voter, and you cast your vote for a competent candidate. Greensboro voters have a chance to vote for a competent candidate, Chris Meadows. What a change this would be for Greensboro if Chris Meadows is elected. Let us be honest. There are candidates running in Districts who will be elected who are incompetent. There are Districts that will keep electing candidates who are not qualified. Given the right mayoral leader, the unqualified voice will be diluted, hopefully by reason. Nancy Vaughn grew up in New Jersey. Justin Outling grew up in upper New York. I do not see either one of these candidates as having a stirring emotion about the City of Greensboro. Please, please vote for write-in candidate Chris Meadows. To further the opportunity to elect Chris Meadows, spread the word. If the residents of Greensboro are honestly ready for a change, vote for write-in candidate Chris Meadows. I must keep emphasizing “write-in” because Chris Meadows’ name will not appear on the ballot. Take the extra effort and vote for write-in candidate Chris Meadows.
For 40 years we found Greensboro to be a good place o live, work, and raise a family. Now it seems that the crazys have taken over. Out of sight taxes, trash can police and lord knows what else. Sure glad we moved where the taxes are 1/2 Greensboro and important things still get done.
You takin’ (old) boarders?