It was quite a year in Guilford County government and it seemed fitting at the end of the year to take a look back in time at the year that was…
- The Board Starts The Year With A Retreat – And A Tax Bombshell. Guilford County’s commissioners opened 2025 with their annual retreat at NC A&T – an event billed as a chance to set priorities, but this year it was really more useful as an early warning system: County officials made it clear that property values in Guilford County were lagging far behind actual market prices, and that the 2026 revaluation could result in sharp increases for many property owners. On average, property owners were predicted to see a 48 percent increase in their property values and, for homeowners specifically, higher than that.
That disclosure quietly framed nearly every major county discussion that followed.
Long before budget season began, commissioners knew they were heading toward a collision between rising values, public expectations and political reality.
- School Construction, Debt, And The Constant Tug-Of-War. As always, schools were at the center of county government’s financial gravity. Early meetings of the Joint Capital/Facilities Committee made it clear that school construction wasn’t slowing down and that past commitments were still rippling through the county’s long-term debt picture.
Commissioners repeatedly returned to the same balancing act – how to keep funding school projects without pushing debt service to levels that would force future tax hikes. By midyear, discussion was already drifting toward another major – perhaps $565 million – school bond in the coming years.
For taxpayers, it reinforced a familiar pattern: even when the board talks about restraint, school capital needs remain a powerful and persistent driver of county spending.
- Budget Season – No Tax Rate Increase, But Plenty Of Spending• Spring brought budget workshops and the familiar dance between the county manager and commissioners. County Manager Mike Halford presented a proposed budget that avoided a property tax rate increase, a decision that board leadership clearly hoped would tamp down public concern ahead of the next revaluation.
But the absence of a rate hike didn’t mean a smaller government. When commissioners adopted the final budget in June, it totaled roughly $847 million – the largest budget in Guilford County history.
The vote itself highlighted the board’s political divide. The budget passed 7–2, with the two Republican commissioners voting no and warning that the county was setting itself up for future tax pressure by continuing to expand spending while relying on highly optimistic revenue assumptions.
- The Sales Tax Referendum – Back Again If there’s one idea that never quite disappears from Guilford County government, it’s the quarter-cent sales tax increase. In 2025, commissioners once again took steps to revive the idea, aiming for a referendum on the November 2026 ballot.
Supporters framed the proposal as a way to diversify revenue and help fund schools without relying entirely on property taxes. Critics saw it as yet another attempt to grow government while sidestepping tougher questions about spending discipline.
By year’s end, the board was still refining the approach, debating ballot language and messaging – a sign that the sales tax question will loom large as the 2026 election season approaches.
- Sheriff’s Headquarters, Overtime, And The Cost Of Not Filling Jobs. Public safety costs continued to test the county’s budget this year. The long-delayed sheriff’s headquarters project remained a source of frustration, with additional costs and change orders still making their way to the board. Finally, just before the year closed out, the Sheriff’s Office began moving in to the new digs.
More troubling was the ongoing problem of staffing and overtime at the Sheriff’s Office. As the year progressed, reports showed millions of dollars in overtime overruns, driven largely by unfilled positions that forced remaining deputies to work extra hours.
It was a clear example of how personnel shortages can quietly inflate budgets – not through new programs, but through the sheer cost of keeping essential services running when hiring lags behind demand.
- Revaluation Anxiety Turns Into Open Revolt. No issue stirred more emotion in 2025 than property tax revaluation. What began as a warning at the January retreat became a full-blown political flashpoint by the fall.
As the county moved forward with preparations for the 2026 revaluation, public hearings on the schedule of values drew intense scrutiny. Residents came to meetings to complain about rising home prices, fixed incomes, and the fear that tax bills were about to jump far beyond what many households could absorb.
The anger was amplified by memories of the last revaluation, when the board didn’t reduce the tax rate to a revenue-neutral level. Many residents came away convinced that higher assessments would again translate directly into higher taxes.
Transparency also became an issue. While schedules of values were technically available for review, much of the underlying cost data used by the assessor was restricted – fueling suspicion and frustration among property owners who wanted a clearer picture of how values were being calculated.
By the end of the year, it was clear that revaluation had become more than a technical process – it was a trust issue between county government and taxpayers.
- Incentives And Economic Development – The Numbers Keep Coming.
Economic development incentives continued to move through the board with familiar regularity. Throughout 2025, commissioners approved or discussed incentive packages tied to job creation formulas, often involving unnamed projects and closed-session negotiations.
Supporters pointed to the promise of new jobs and investment. Skeptics noted that the details frequently emerged only after commitments were made, leaving the public to sort out the true cost later.
The steady stream of incentives underscored a broader reality: Guilford County remains eager to compete for development, even as questions persist about whether the returns consistently justify the taxpayer investment.
- The Politics Of Power – Alston’s Grip, The Board’s Future. Politically, 2025 was marked by continuity at the top. Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston remained firmly in control of the board’s direction, with plans in place for him to continue chairing into 2026.
Former County Manager Mike Halford did not fare so well. Soon after a 2025-2026 budget was adopted in June, the commissioners held a closed session and then Halford’s resignation was announced. The board also wasted no time in bumping up Victor Isler to the top job in county administration.
Alston’s annual State of the County address, delivered at the Old Guilford County Court House, offered the administration’s preferred narrative of progress and investment, emphasizing growth while downplaying the brewing tax storm.
At the same time, the board’s future began to shift.
Late in the year, Commissioner Frankie Jones announced that he would not seek re-election in 2026, setting the stage for a changing political landscape and potentially tighter races in the next cycle.
- The Through-Line Of 2025 – Spending Pressure Meets Taxpayer Limits.
Viewed as a whole, 2025 was defined by a growing tension between ambition and anxiety.
On one side stood a county government comfortable approving a record budget, continuing large capital projects, pursuing new revenue streams, and maintaining an aggressive posture on economic development.
On the other stood a public increasingly worried about affordability – particularly as revaluation loomed and memories of past tax decisions resurfaced.
That unresolved tension now rolls directly into 2026.
Commissioners will face a revaluation year that could bring widespread sticker shock, renewed debate over taxes and spending, and an election cycle where county finances are likely to become a central campaign issue.
If 2025 proved anything, it’s that Guilford County government is moving forward with confidence – while a growing number of residents are wondering whether they can afford where it’s headed.
