Recently, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners approved a $7 million incentive package for High Point for that city’s downtown development – with no specific project in mind.
One of two votes against that move came from Republican Guilford County Commissioner Alan Perdue, who’s had one big question: “How much is this going to cost the county?”
Perdue has said in meetings that he’s not sure of the answer to that question but he does know one thing: It will cost a heck of a lot more than $7 million. Because, Perdue argued in a commissioners work session and again in a televised meeting, this incentive opens the door wide open for every town and city in Guilford County to come to the Board of Commissioners for help funding their city and town projects.
Perdue said if the county gives $7 million to High Point for its project, why wouldn’t every municipality in the county come ask for money. He said each of the municipalities all had challenges they needed help with.
Perdue was persistent in wanting to know: What could the county say when every town and city came asking for money?
Indeed, right after the Board of Commissioners approved the unusual – even historic – handout to High Point, posters on Facebook were asking that same question.
One even did the math. If there are about 112,000 High Point residents, the poster reasoned, that comes to $62.50 per person, which would mean that Greensboro should get $18 million and change, and Summerfield should get $700,000 in county help, and so on and so on.
In fact, forget about towns and cities – even individual homeowners on Facebook were asking this week why shouldn’t they get help from the county whenever they increase the tax base with an addition to their home.
What Perdue called a “Pandora’s Box” may have now been opened. On Friday, Feb. 26, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners called a special meeting with the mayors and managers or administrators for all the cities and towns to give input on the county’s 2021-2022 fiscal budget. That’s a brand new step of the commissioners’ budget process – one that can very likely be attributed to the feedback after the recent vote to give High Point $7 million.
I am a member of the Town Council of Pleasant Garden and I would not be doing my town and it’s citizens justice if I weren’t there trying to get a share of that largess similar to what they are handing outto HP. After all, it’s our money.
Jon Hardister, a State Representative for our area got the Town a large grant last year which went far towards improving our recreation offerings to the the citizens of PG, SE Guilford, and adjacent counties who enjoy having these types of things close by.
It’s about time someone other then we, the small towns of the County, pointed out the inequality of things like this.
And now our latest episode of “As the Skip Squirms…”
There is no squirming. Skip has the Vote. The tyranny of the vote, free lunch wise.
Thank God for Alan on our side here in PG. if Alan was on the commission and in charge we could finally see a more fair and equitably run county. Kick Skip to curb, and stop the insanity that has taken over Guilford County.
Maybe he can be the lead for the Retiree Tyranny that y’all seem so happy about.
Everyone seems completely outraged that the City of High Point received $7 million for assisting in development of a new town center. As a citizen of High Point, I would suggest that if we cannot request money from the county, then we should go with the idea of being our own county. Under that scenario, Guilford County would not get one cent from the major property taxes from the furniture facilities and we would not need to try and get any return on the taxes paid. Better think about that folks.
You told us.
Of course we’re outraged. It was irresponsible for High Point to build a stadium they couldn’t payfor and the voters didn’t want. It is irresponsible for High Point to ask the rest of the county to give them money for the asking without any specifics of where the money will be spent. And it’s irresponsible of you (and selfish as well) to defend such an indefensible expenditure of public funds. Instead of asking the rest of us to fund your irresponsible spending, you should be voting to increase your tax rate to pay your own bills.
Since I live in the unincorporated county, I’ll just deduct my $62.50 from my next property tax payment.