Since the Guilford County Board of Commissioners is soon to be dominated by Democrats – seven of the nine seats will be held by Dems – one might think that a tax increase is in the works for Guilford County when the next budget is adopted in June of 2021.
However, Guilford County Commissioner Skip Alston, the longest-serving commissioner and the one who’s expected to be elected chairman, told the Rhino Times that there would be no property tax increase for Guilford County in 2021.
That’s pretty stunning because, before the Guilford County Board of Commissioners was taken over by a Republican majority in 2012, the board was run by Democrats, and, in most years, the Dems did vote for tax increases – often very large ones.
Factor into the equation the fact that county voters just approved a $300 million school bond referendum and that the Republican boards of the last eight years never increased taxes – in fact, lowered them several times – and it makes Alston’s decree even more surprising.
However, Alston, who will be pivotal to the decision-making process, said there will absolutely not be a tax increase next year. Even when he was told the Rhino Times would write an article about his promise – and was warned that the article may come back up again next summer if the Democrats approve a tax increase – Alston said that was fine because he could absolutely, positively assure the Rhino Times and county property owners that there would be no tax increase in 2021.
Alston added that he’s optimistic there could no tax rate increase needed the year after that either. He said he hopes that, in 2022, the tax rate will remain at current levels. However, he added that, that year, since it’s a revaluation year when county properties will have their value adjusted by the Guilford County Tax Department, there would be more money coming in from the same tax rate. When the Republican commissioners had a property revaluation year, they lowered the tax rate to maintain the same amount of money coming in – a move known as holding the tax rate “revenue neutral.”
This rates right up there with the other two great lies (both of which are not appropriate for repeating here since this is a family friendly site) that get told on a regular basis
Time to leave the County while you can. Where would you go? Asheboro, Reidsville, Lexington? Mebbe just over the County line.
lol, take a deep breath now because the next couple of years and the increased fees and taxes we’ll pay will take your breath away!
Speaking of taxes, I am looking at my water bill. It is an invoice-padders dream. From $20-30 per quarter perhaps 60 years ago to $50/mo., and more for us. $23.22 for water this month. But wait! Water Bill Charge, Sewer Billing charge, Sewer Consumption Charge, Haz. Waste charge, solid waste charge, stormwater charge.
Get this, my Sewer consumption charge is more than my water consumption charge. I’ve gotta stop my family, neighbors, and street bums, from using my facility.
All this clatter and flubber is nothing but nickel and diming your water bill, and doubling it without causing any fuss. After all, we have to have water don’t we?
They got us yet again on this one.