Sticker shock.
That’s a phrase used by Guilford County tax officials each time property values across the county are revalued and property owners have to pay taxes based on those new valuations.
Every five years in Guilford County, property owners get their property revalued by the Tax Department. That almost always means a higher valuation and a higher tax bill – and, come July of 2022, a lot of Guilford County residents who don’t even realize a revaluation has been taking place are going to be very unhappy with their new higher bills.
Over the last two years, housing prices in North Carolina and Guilford County have skyrocketed, so a lot of people may be shocked when they see that new sticker price the Tax Department has slapped on their home.
Some counties in the state, like Durham County, have approved new programs meant to help financially challenged property owners pay their bills since those bills will be higher in the midst of a pandemic.
The Durham County Tax Office, working with the Durham County Department of Social Services, has launched a “Low-Income Homeowners Relief Program“ to help low-income homeowners who’ve owned their home for at least 10 years. In order to be eligible for a property tax bill subsidy, homeowners have to pull in less than 30 percent of the average median income in that county. The maximum award granted will be $750, and the money can only go toward tax bills.
Those applying need to show proof of residency and proof of household income.
But what if you live in Guilford County and can’t pay?
Well, too bad. You better find a way to pay your higher tax bills.
Almost all property values in Guilford County will be higher in 2022 than they were in 2017, and Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Skip Alston has already made it crystal clear that he expects to keep the county’s tax rate the same this year.
By leaving the tax rate where it is, the county expects to raise more than $55 million in extra property tax revenue over the current fiscal year. The last time the county had a revaluation, the Board of Commissioners was controlled by Republicans who lowered the tax rate to compensate for the higher property values. That is, the board held the county “revenue neutral.” It brought down the tax rate to a point where the property tax revenue would be substantially equal to what it was the previous fiscal year.
Guilford County Tax Director Ben Chavis said this week that, right now at least, there’s no program in Guilford County similar to the one in Durham County.
“I’ve heard about this program in Durham,” Chavis said. “ I don’t know of anything in the works in Guilford.”
Read: Prepare to pay your full tax bill no matter what your income.
Chavis said that, in Guilford County, about 60 percent of the Tax Department’s accounts have taxes escrowed.
While there’s no formal relief program in Guilford County, as there is in Durham County, the Guilford County Tax Department will allow payment plans with some people.
“We examine each case based on individual circumstances and work with the customer accordingly,” Chavis said. “The collector is charged to collect delinquent taxes utilizing all collection remedies under the general statute by the end of the fiscal period.”
Chavis said that right now he’s focused on making sure everyone pays up for the 2021-2022 fiscal year that ends June 30.
“We’ll see what the new fiscal year brings,” he said, “but my main objective now is to close out this fiscal period strong. Our collection percentage is 96.99% as of January 31.”
Same ole same ole. It’s past time to get the demodumbasses out of office. Get out and vote. And remember to vote often
Absolutely! If it’s in office vote it out especially if they’ve been in more than 1 term. It was sad in November our local election, there was only 748 people turned out to vote out of a healthy 4600+ registered voters in Oak Ridge. No change because cronyism is alive and well! Do your civic duty and vote!!
Did anyone expect any less from Skip & Co? By keeping the rate the same they can claim “we didn’t raise taxes”, but using the same rate on increased valuations makes that a lie.
55 extra million….I wonder what low life wasteful program that will go too….
$55,000,000 ought to buy a nice DEBTORS PRISON for Guilford County. What else could possibly cost $55,000,000? With the millions tossed into county and city coffers via COVID RELIEF FUNDS it seems we should have ample funds to pay current expenses AND escrow a few million for rainy days.
This is ridiculous!
We people on fixed income don’t need a tax increase right now. We are dealing with inflation and it hurting our budget already. It’s time for the government to start cutting back, itself. Every time we get a little increase in our income people like you come along and steals it from us. It’s time for Greensboro to start managing what they get and stop taking food money from the poor people.
Then maybe poor and middle class people, the overwhelming bulk of the Democrat voters in Guilford County, should try making a different choice at the ballot box.
The govt just gets bigger and bigger, and we get poorer & poorer.
Maybe if we can keep more of what we earned, we’d have a better shot at saving a few dollars.
On a contrary note, inflation in the last five years has been HUGE. Virtually everything costs a LOT more, including what the County & City need to operate. I think graft & waste would certainly cover these expanding costs (& expanding size of the govt), but would you expect that to happen?
Appeal, Appeal, Appeal! Nothing ventured, nothing gained with this bundle of professional tax-supported crooks. Next, pass another “Bond” and watch it evaporate…again…and again. WAKE UP! Guilford county spending is out of control, and they want more fuel for their fire.
This is very sad news for a retired Guilford County Special Ed teacher! I will have to sacrifice much to pay these taxes! It is a shame you can’t think of an incentive! I don t even have a sidewalk on my street! I am a widow for 21 years this month!
Thank you!
Skippy wants his cut of the 55 mill.
Why is there a need for a relief program? IMHO, the ones in Guilford who voted out the GOP, and voted in the Democrats wanted it this way. Elections have consequences.
Even as the county is awash in Fed pandemic relief money the Dem’s in control want more to spend on buying the favor of future votes
People need to appeal their property tax valuation assessments. Property Taxes are expected to be exponentially higher in 2022. Show the County we will stand against their taxing tyranny. Appeal your property tax valuation.
You know I wouldn’t mind paying more taxes is there was accountability for the money being spent (or not spent) as the case by be. Bonds not voted for, needing MORE money before you have spent what you have? I don’t run my household like that and I doubt many people do. This next election it’s imperative that everyone vote unless you want more of this incompetence.
Democrats are always looking to take your money and spend it the way they want to. Well I hope all of the people who voted for these democratics will just love to pay more taxes as inflation that is a democratic’s strategy eats up your raises. How do like those apples!!!!
Just moved to Guilford County from Forsyth…did we move from the frying pan into the fire?
Now I know why I see so many GOP yard signs around our neighborhood
Don’t forget they want a huge Bond Referendum too. Taking more of your hard earned money.
Many years ago, my grandfather told me “if you have too much, they will take it from you”. We should listen to those who’ve been around a while. They know more than we do.
We are those who have been around for awhile so what do we do now.
Get ready to get ready. Look out for #1!
Man. I’m just a single mom. I’m not getting child support, but I work very hard to keep a roof over my kids’ heads. Wish our bills didn’t keep getting higher because it literally does take the food out of our mouths.
This is not news. Rino Times has posted stories about Guilford Co. property taxes going up numerous times, but there is nothing said about when or from whom property owners will be notified prior to a tax bill in the mail. You are not serving the public with these no information “stories”.
The county commissioners aren’t listening to their constituents. Otherwise we’d already be done with the mask mandate.
What you really need to be doing is contacting your district and at-large city council rep, and mayor and tell them to not follow in the county’s footsteps. They should vote to lower the GSO City tax rate to compensate for the higher property values. That is, as stated above, the city council should change the city tax rate to maintain a “revenue neutral” position They can bring down the tax rate to a point where the property tax revenue would be substantially equal to what it was the previous fiscal year.
Well, brace yourself folks! Here comes a dose of REALITY… a large portion of the democrat voters DO NOT PAY TAXES!!!! They are on the government teet. They are the very problem with the right to vote. If you had to be a taxpayer to vote which in my opinion you should, the democrat base would dissolve and these socialist would disappear as well. As long as the democrats hold the carrot stick the jackasses will do what they want which is to allow themselves to collect OUR money for doing NOTHING but voting for the dems! This isn’t hard to figure out if you have just a little bit of good sense. If these dems couldn’t buy votes with OUR tax dollars that the dems take from US for getting up and working hard the dems couldn’t keep STEALING OUR MONEY. Less government tyranny MORE FREEDOM or in layman’s terms NO SOCIALISM!
The city council and the county commissioners do not listen when you email them. Since the county went revenue neutral with the last tax valuation, the city needs to go revenue neutral this time. Also, any funds from the increased tax rate need to go towards the school bond and our taxes not increase for it. Why do property owners have to bear the brunt of all the tax increases? :-||
Taxes on top of taxes. Tyranny. If you dont pay taxes, you should not have the right to vote.
More taxes, more waste.
Vote the dems out. Get our country back.
Does anyone know how often Guilford County approves an appeal by a property owner? I submitted an appeal. Waited a long time, then got a letter for me to sign and return basically saying, your appeal was denied, do you agree or disagree? Just wondering if it’s worth my time and effort to disagree and see what happens next?