At a Monday, June 17 work session, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners began a preliminary discussion of some potential programs that the county may implement to reduce the burden on some county property owners who are having trouble paying their tax bills.
As part of that effort, Guilford County Tax Director Ben Chavis was asked to present information about other programs in the state created by local governments.
State law already provides some tax relief options for the elderly and disabled; however, Guilford County is exploring expanding the options to more taxpayers having trouble paying their bills.
Other counties in North Carolina have implemented such programs.
One reason for the timing of possible property tax relief plans is that many people in Guilford County are having trouble paying their property taxes in this time of high inflation and high home values.
Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Skip Alston started the discussion off by noting that this is something the board had discussed before, and he added that he’d asked Guilford County Tax Director Ben Chavis to explore some options to help those who could not pay their taxes – especially those who were elderly, handicapped, or in certain dire circumstances.
“I’ve asked staff to come up with some ideas and to explore some options that are already out there,” Alston said.
Chavis told the board that about 63 percent of Guilford County’s budget funding comes from property tax revenues.
“What we’re looking at here is something outside of what is granted under state statute,” he said.
As for the state relief programs, there are 171,000 households in Guilford County and current state tax relief programs are only covering 6829 of those.
The City of Greensboro already has a program in place. The city budgeted $250,000 to give some breaks to those whose tax bill increased by more than $50 between 2021 and 2023.
Under that program, there are income limits, and beneficiaries of the program also cannot have delinquent taxes on the books.
Buncombe County has a program and one requirement in that county is that you must have lived in your home for five years or more. Also, you can’t have more than $60,000 in liquid assets.
Mecklenburg County has a program as well, under which people can save up to $426 a year on their tax bill, and the City of Charlotte has a relief program that can save some homeowners $240. Charlotte residents can benefit from both of those programs in the same year.
Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Skip Alston said at the work session, “We had talked about this possibility this year, and I didn’t even know that Greensboro was offering it.”
Chavis told the board that the state implements its programs through legislation, but, in order for Guilford County to put its own programs in place, the county would offer relief through the Guilford County Division of Social Services.
Chavis, of course, didn’t have any cost estimates at this early stage in the process.
“I do know that the City of Greensboro did not spend the entire $250,000,” he said. “In fact, it was a fraction of that.”
Chavis said the City of Greensboro is going to try to inform more city residents about its tax relief program by inserting flyers in the county’s next tax bill. He said that, if Guilford County adopts a program, the county would also place inserts countywide.
Commissioner Pat Tillman said he was really interested in seeing what the numbers would like for such a program, as did some other commissioners.
Chavis will come back to the board later this summer with a more detailed proposal.
Lol….more BS
Keep it simple, stoopid (KISS). Lower the tax rate.
Amen!
Everytime this bunch gets together, John & Jane Q. Taxpayer get screwed.
Is the property tax relief program merely an interest-free loan that must be repaid when the house is sold or inherited?
We purchased our home in 2000; over 23 years here now. Based on neighborhood sales & HVE,, today our house would bring about 216% more than our purchase price. Sounds like a killer investment, but it isn’t.
First, according to the Govt website inflation calculator, inflation has eaten up all but 18% of our gains. If you believe govt info on inflation, you are living in Fantasy land. Or you are not buying your own food and gas? Eaten out lately? $7 for a mini-loaf of Dave’s Cinnamon Bread?
Second, we have paid property taxes for 23 years, more than any gain that would be left. Which there isn’t.
Third. Maintenance. Almost $20M worth of tree removal & surgery. Thousands of dollars for yard maintenance.
New furnace, new A/C. Oil tank removal. New roof. New siding. Replacement windows. French drain. A new $16,000 concrete driveway. Thousands of hours of personal labor. Ad nauseum.
The closing costs added to our purchase price for the house. Commissions, taxes, and fees awaiting us when we sell.
A house is a money pit, and a target for the Tax Man. The only positive is a place to call our home. Good location.
You can buy fixer-uppers and flip the home for a profit, but that is a job, not a residence.
Knowing what I have learned in a lifetime, the only answer is to rent a smaller space. And have less stuff. No maintenance; if you don’t like it, just move. Losing some privacy and solitude. Right now, renting is obscene. When mortgage interest rates come down, renting will become less expensive.
If it were me alone, I would sell my house, and rent until the Big Sleep.
I have lived here in Guilford County for 32 years. I always thought the taxes were a bit excessive because they were +/- twice (at least) what they were in a neighboring county where I grew up. But, in the last few years, after seeing Guilford County’s use of the property tax increase as a shadow tax, I spent more time thinking about it. I have a hard time seeing what the difference is. That county provides the same basic services as Guilford County. They have a full staff of county administration, Social Services, Senior Services, and Sheriff’s Department, along with all the other things necessary for the county to function relatively well. Think about it…the property values there are lower than in lower Guilford County, they tax those lesser-valued properties at a much lower rate, resulting in a tax burden per taxpayer which is much less…..yet that county functions well and far more efficiently it would seem. What exactly are we getting by living here in Guilford County that those living in that other county are not? Is it really worth the hefty premium we all pay when most people, in their average daily life, require no more county-funded support than the people in that surrounding county?
No sir, it is not worth it or financially viable for many citizens. It is not hard to see Guilford County and Greensboro city have loads of people living off your and my lifetime of hard work and savings.
I’m 74 and have applied twice for Guilford Co. Tax Homestead Exemption Relief and been denied both times. The first time my income level was just slightly over their income cap so I was denied. Then this year I discovered they had raised the cap considerably so tried again because I was definitely under the cap. Denied again!! Their reason was that since I had put my house in a “life estate” and included my disabled son’s “special needs” trust on the deed, that the trust was disqualifying. I looked up the statute they quoted me (NC 105.277.1) and can find no reference to “trusts” anywhere. When I called a supervisor at the tax dept I was told they get their guidance from the NC Dept of Revenue. There was no explanation as to why trusts were not mentioned in the statute! Why quote the statute when they don’t even use it? Something’s rotten about this. Signed: Poor Elderly Widow trying to pay her outrageous taxes.
Email your NC representative to find out the answer to your question.
Why are the Commissioners trying to come up with new tax relief programs? Just lower property taxes for everyone.
Because “everyone” doesn’t fit their DEI designation for “tax relief”.
BINGO!!!!!
We have a winner!!!!!