The public hearing on the 2022-2023 budget for the City of Greensboro will be held at the Tuesday, June 7 City Council meeting in the Katie Dorsett Council Chamber.
The meeting officially begins at 5 p.m. However, the City Council plans to go into a closed session at that time and the public portion of the meeting should not begin before 5:30 p.m. Usually when a City Council meeting begins with a closed session, the public portion of the meeting is delayed because the closed session runs longer than anticipated.
Those who plan to speak in person at the June 7 meeting must register on the on-site Qminder kiosk by 6 p.m.
This will be a “hybrid” meeting, which means that people are also allowed to speak at the meeting via Zoom. Those wishing to speak via Zoom are required to complete the City Council Virtual Comments Form at jotform.com by 5 p.m. Monday, June 6.
Zoom participants are removed from the call after they make their comments.
The public hearing on the City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba’s recommended $668.7 million fiscal 2022-2023 budget is item H.1 on the agenda after the Public Comment Period and the Consent Agenda.
The Public Comment Period is technically for comments on non-agenda items. Since the budget is on the agenda, those who plan to speak on the budget, which includes a 30 percent property tax increase, should be asked to wait until the public hearing on the budget to speak. Comments on items and issues other than the budget should be heard during the Public Comment period.
The public hearing on the budget is coming after only one City Council work session on the budget recommended by Jaiyeoba. At the May 26 work session, Mayor Nancy Vaughan expressed concern about the tax rate, which in the manager’s budget remained at 66.25 cents despite the fact that, because this is a revaluation year, the revenue neutral tax rate would be 54.56 cents. The revenue neutral rate would raise essentially the same amount of revenue from property taxes as if there had been no revaluation.
Keeping the tax rate at 66.25 cents essentially raises the property tax revenue by about 30 percent.
This is a revaluation year. As a result of the increased value of our property, the cost of property insurance increased. Property tax on rental properties also increased. Add to that a 30 percent increase in property tax. We have a large number of renters in Greensboro. Rents will have to be increased to cover those increases.
Greensboro has a large population of senior citizens who live on fixed incomes. They are already faced with the increased cost of medical expenses, food and gasoline. And now add a 30 percent property tax increase. Not a good idea.
The revenue neutral tax rate or an even lower rate would be the best choice for the citizens of Greensboro at this time.
Mandate Mayor and new Manager would love the public to speak about their concerns about a extremely bloated proposed budget but due to agenda manipulation the public must wait until after it is had its hearing before council? Why the rush job? Why the lack of transparency? Why continue unethical obstacles to the press and public? So sad our city is run in darkness with disdain for common folks.
Never happen ! The ” free money” will win out.
How about let’s stop building sidewalks to no-where, or where there will be minimum use. i.e., Guilford College Road between Friendly Avenue, and New Garden. Whey the heck are they putting down a mile of new sidewalks on the west side when there are already adequate walks on the east side which are rarely used except by college kids jogging, or walking? A waste of taxpayer money. Of course, these are likely funded by some federal grant and the city has to spend the money. It is just the mentality of our elected officials.