The reviews are in from former Republican county commissioners regarding recent move by the new Democratic-run board, and those reviews aren’t good at all.
Former Commissioners Jeff Phillips and Alan Branson stated essentially this week that, under the new governance, Guilford County is going to hell in a handbasket – and, they add, the current Democratic board is undoing eight straight years of fiscal responsibility that the Republicans helped establish and preserve.
The Guilford County Board of Commissioners was under the control of a Republican majority from December 2012 until December 2020 – after the 2020 election ousted Branson and failed to elect any new Republicans to the board.
The new criticism from Branson and Philips came after the board voted 7-to-2 to give High Point $7 million over the next 20 years for any downtown development project High Point wants to spend the money on.
Phillips, who surprised many last year when he decided not to run to hold his seat on the Board of Commissioners, said this week that it didn’t take long for the board led by Chairman Skip Alston to start wreaking havoc on the county budget.
“Except for the remaining Republicans on the Board of Commissioners,” Phillips said, “any semblance of business sense has left the building. I have nothing against High Point’s interest in revitalizing their downtown, but tax-increment financing is a poorly conceived pie-in-the-sky shell game that sounds peachy on the surface – but always results in citizens picking up the shortfall in the long run. And there’s always a shortfall.”
He added that there have been other very irresponsible financial moves by the new board.
“It’s one more bad decision that will, unfortunately, be followed by many more in the coming months,” Phillips said. “So, hold on to your property tax wallets ’cause political favors are going to rule the day, and inexperienced spendthrifts with little to no business-sense are holding the keys to the taxpayer’s kingdom in Guilford County. Batter up!”
That baseball reference is due to the fact that High Point built a new stadium as the centerpiece of its downtown revitalization effort.
Branson, who also said the High Point incentive vote was the result of a political deal made last year rather than a reasoned decision, said it was an offense to taxpayers all across the county.
Branson also railed against the 7-to-2 vote on his Facebook page, citing the fact that there were no guidelines as to how the money for downtown development should be used. High Point can use the money on any downtown development project under the sun.
“Every economic development incentive that I have been involved in the last 8 years have had some meat on the bones,” Branson posted. “This is a feel-good opportunity and I do hope it succeeds, but the citizens of Guilford County should not be burdened with this financial hardship and debt.”
Branson also called the new Democratic commissioners on the board Alston’s “puppets.” Branson has called them that before as well.
The Rhino Times didn’t speak with former Republican Commissioner Hank Henning for this article. But Henning, who like Phillips chose not to run last year, was the board’s most vocal critic of the proposal for the county to provide money for High Point’s downtown development before he left the board in early December.
Someone should be looking into pain relief grants that provide personal lubricants for the taxpayers.
What a bunch of snowflake whiners. #amiright?
No. What gibberish.
Included in the “Gift” to High Point is a provision that the money can not be spent on the Ball Stadium, but gives an open checkbook for money to be spent on any other project they so desire.
What is to prevent High Point from asking for money for any project that the City has already budgeted for, and then diverting that money to the ball park.
High Point did not contribute money for the Ball Park in Greensboro, nor has it contributed to parks that Guilford County has built that benefit High Point residents.
I will reserve further comment.
What’s the difference councilman Johnson did the same thing with the cure violence for the tune of 900,000 what a joke our county and city are all the way back to skip and earl and the so called international museum where does the international part come in just asking
I’m sure a lot of the older readers on here remember when earl was involved with 700,00 plus that went missing
I’d like for skip and earl to explain where the 700,00 that went missing was spent maybe micheal king was involved
Amen !!
The Greensboro ballpark was not paid for by Greensboro. It was financed by the Bryan Foundation.
This Boondoggle is nothing but political payback for Skip, The two Stadiums are in no way similar. Bryan Foundation paid way more than their fair share and kept the stadium on the County and City tax books. It completely revitalized Downtown Greensboro. The High Point Stadium does not pay any property taxes and is a drain on the taxpayers. Skip could care less about High Point as they are not in his voting district. POLITICAL payback at the taxpayers expense. As a reference, I handled the entire transaction for Guilford County. This is bad business for the taxpayers.
In a previous article I wrote that when Skip and his minions took over after that great run by the Republicans,Ski would began unloading your tax dollars to almost anyone who asked for it.He spends like a DRUNK SAILOR because it’s your money and he knows how to spend it and you don’t.In the future look for more of the same .Around The month of July/August timeframe,the Democrats will all Schedule time in Nevada or California attending meetings.This is another Boondoggle that the Dems like to play.Just spending your hard earned tax dollars.It really is an absolute waste of tax money Skip is the worst of the bunch .By him being on the board since Noah and the flood ,he has been on at least a dozen or more of these Boondoggles .Why did the people of Guilford County vote in these Democrats.I am astonished that people/sane people at that would stoop so low as to put all these Dems on this board.We have not had a county tax increase sin ce the Republicans were elected.Now in the last 3 months the Dems have started a spending spree that will only get worse.In 2 Years lets vote out all Dems who will be running.HELP ME !!!!!!!
Please do not insult drunken sailors by your comparison, as drunken sailors spend their OWN money, and usually stop spending when they run out of said money.
Skip might not be selling hot dogs anymore, but he’s still the king weenie. He just has more clueless minions on the board now than ever which gives him unlimited power. For those of you not sure what that looks like glance at any photo taken since December and the obvious smirk is sickening. His fellow democrats are so blinded by todays SJW narrative they cannot comprehend that anything one sided cannot be just.
Skip Alston didn’t have very much success in Charge of the funds for the Civil Rights Museum . Now He’s in Charge of spending Guilford County’s Money . Between the Guilford County Commissioners and the Greensboro City Council , the residents of Guilford County are in BIG Trouble !