Guilford County Manager Mike Halford’s 2022-2023 budget proposal is a lot like a kid’s Christmas wish list.
It’s a document that lists a whole lot of things someone wants without too much regard that they may cost a fortune. But there’s a difference: Unlike the kid jotting down everything he or she wants for Christmas, Halford – with the support of the Democratic-majority Board of Commissioners – may very well get pretty much everything he’s asking for.
Halford’s $855 million budget is far and away the largest budget proposal ever brought before a Guilford County Board of Commissioners, and, when Republican Commissioner Justin Conrad first heard Halford’s proposed budget unveiled at the commissioners meeting last week, Conrad texted the Rhino Times with a two-word response that can’t be repeated in a family-oriented publication. While that comment (Hint: first word is “Holy”) can’t be quoted here, suffice it to say that Conrad thinks the spending is quite overboard.
But it’s not just Conrad and his fellow commissioners who get to comment on the budget proposal. County citizens have a venue for input as well before the Board of Commissioners adopts a final budget in June.
This week, the county announced the details of that public hearing on the manager’s budget. The public hearing on the proposed budget will be held on Thursday, June 2, at 5:30 p.m. in the Commissioners Meeting Room in the Old Guilford County Court House, in downtown Greensboro. The official stated reason for the hearing is “for the purpose of discussing the proposed FY 2022-23 budget and to give all interested citizens the opportunity to make written and oral comments on the budget.”
For those who’d like to check out Halford’s budget recommendation, it can be found on the county’s website at GuilfordCountyNC.gov. In addition, on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., a physical copy can be seen in the Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners Office on the second floor of the Old Court House at 301 W. Market St.
While the overall county budget proposal totals $855 million, the county’s “general fund” budget – is $777,378,000. The general fund budget encompasses the Board of Commissioners’ discretionary dollars and the budgets for county departments, but doesn’t include some “pass-through” funding pre-committed to certain initiatives.
Halford has recommended a tax rate of 73.05 cents per $100 of assessed property values. That’s the same rate as the current county budget, but due to the countywide revaluation of all property at a time of very high real estate prices, the proposed budget essentially includes a stealth tax increase of 14 cents. The “revenue-neutral” tax rate, is 59.54 cents per $100 of value. But, with a Democratic-majority board, there’s no hope county citizens will see anything close to that rate this year.
The recommended tax rates for fire districts are also available in the budget document.
Unbelievable. I think the public hearing should be moved to the Coliseum so there is room for everyone who pays taxes in this county to come and “comment”. I know what I will say.
Bovine fecal matter pretty much sums it all up.
So with the city property tax rate going up and the county property tax rates going up high as a kite it reminds me of our congress and senate in Washington speeding money in 2020 and 2021 that they didn’t have. Then came inflation, high gas prices and food cost. Since our city council and county commissioners can’t print money like they did our taxes are going to continue to go up for the next 20 years!! This people remind me of a bunch of idiots that have no since of money management and just want to spend money we don’t have or will ever have. I’m beginning to think it time to move to another county where commissioner and town councils budget as if it were their own money. This is ridiculous and will only get worse.
Buh bye
They’ll make a show of listening, but nothing will change.
Trying to take money from a democrat is like trying to take blood from Dracula.
They won’t really allow public comments just like they don’t allow the press to report on County meetings. There will be limited time for comments and limited opportunities for people to sign up. In the end, it won’t matter what the public says this budget will be passed, just like the County voters passed the school bonds, just like the Commissioners will put the sales tax issue back to a vote in the Fall, just like the Commissioners will raise property taxes to pay for the school bond costs, just like the voters continue to vote in the same politicians while complaining about high taxes, increasing crime, the high cost of living, inept government. Nothing changes but voters don’t change the things that don’t work in government. It’s so discouraging.
I have no comment on the budget other than to back up Mr. Conrad’s comment, Holy Excrement.
Right! Our govt merely reflects the voter.
Uninformed and apathetic voters will vote for any Democrat-on-a-stick. They expect freebies and cushy govt jobs. They think that a ginormus property tax increase will not effect them (as they don’t own a house).
If we were mobile, we’d be in Randolph County right now. Tesla is.
Plenty of excess kick back for Skip and the gang.
Imagine a “ginormous” digit.