If you want to voice your thoughts to the Guilford County commissioners in person, you need to act fast.
In a Saturday, May 23 press release regarding the public hearing for the fiscal 2020-2021 budget, the county announced that 30 speakers will be allowed to come in and address the Board of Commissioners face-to-face at the board’s Thursday, June 4 meeting.
Those slots will be given out on a first-come-first-serve basis.
At the last meeting, Guilford County Manager Marty Lawing submitted his proposed county budget for the upcoming fiscal year that begins on Wednesday, July 1 – and the next meeting is the one when the board usually has a packed meeting house as people come out to express their views as to how taxpayer money should be allocated in the new budget.
The board is expected to adopt a new 2020-2021county budget in mid-June.
“The Guilford County Board of Commissioners remains committed to providing an open and transparent public process during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the announcement of the June 4 public hearing stated, adding that, the county must also, however, ensure the safety of the members of the public as well as county staff – while also complying with all State of North Carolina orders.
Therefore, the next commissioners meeting – scheduled for the first Thursday in June at 5:30 p.m. in the commissioners’ second-floor meeting room in the Old County Court House in downtown Greensboro – will be open for participation to everyone through the GoToWebinar platform, as well as to the lucky 30 people who can show up and speak from the podium like people have done for years and years.
Those wishing to fill one of the 30 in-person speaking slots can register by submitting an email to awebb@guilfordcountync.gov. Again, act fast.
If you’d rather put your thoughts down on paper, you can submit written comments on the new budget to:
Guilford County Clerk to Board
301 W. Market Street
Greensboro NC 27401
Or you can email your thoughts to publiccomments@guilfordcountync.gov.
Written public comments for the hearing will be accepted for up to 24 hours after the meeting.
