The Guilford County Board of Commissioners is head over heels in love with Guilford County Schools, and now that the commissioners have put on the ballot and helped pass two school bond referendums totaling $2 billion, the commissioners are going to vote to put a quarter-cent sales tax hike option on the ballot in November of this year in order to provide an extra $25 million annually to help fund an increase in the salaries of school employees.
In the past, the commissioners and other local leaders who want to see the sales tax increase have tried all kinds of sales tactics, passed resolutions explaining the benefits of a sales tax increase, and promised wholeheartedly how well they would use the proceeds. They even promised once to reduce property taxes slightly if voters approved a sales tax increase.
This time around the plan is to promise to dedicate the proceeds to school salaries. The thinking is, in the past when it was promised to be used for school bond debt, that’s not as agreeable to voters as increasing the pay of school employees.
But they’re hoping that in 2024, the 7th time’s a charm.
However, it’s possible that, rather than being a failure of marketing, Guilford County voters just plain don’t want a sales tax increase. It’s been on the ballot so many times that it was difficult to find out how often it’s been voted down.
Here’s the history of how the sales tax referendum has fared in the county. In 2007, the NC General Assembly voted to allow counties to increase their sales tax by a quarter of a cent – if county voters approved. So, the very first time Guilford County government could do so, it put the tax hike on the 2008 Primary ballot, where it failed.
Since it failed then the commissioners put it back on the ballot six months later on the November ballot that year, only for it to fail again.
The county then put the measure on the ballot in the General Elections in 2010 and in 2014 and once again in 2020.
Since none of those turned out well for advocates, the board put it on the 2022 Primary Election ballot – where fewer voters turn out than in general elections, and it still lost.
Here’s how it has fared in past years, in the 2008 General Election, it failed massively with 65,329 voting for it and 148,798 voting against. In other words, it lost 30 percent to 70 percent.
Fourteen years ago, the advocates almost managed to get it passed: It came close in the 2010 General Election, when 66198 people voted for it, while 70,022 voted no. That vote came down to 49 percent voting yes and 51 percent voting against.
It didn’t fare nearly as well four years later, in the 2014 General Election when 68,735 voted for it and 91,962 voted against it. That year it lost 43 percent to 57 percent.
In the 2020 General Election, 89,440 voted for it, while a whopping 181,033 voted against. That was 33 percent yes votes to 67 percent no votes.
In the 2022 Primary Election, 33,720 people voted for it, while 41,457 voted against. That 45 percent to 55 percent vote didn’t cut it either.
And if the sales tax referendum is voted down this year, it’s probably a good bet that you’ll see in on the ballot again very soon.
The sales tax increase is to pay for the school bonds. Do not be fooled by the Commissioners’ artful deception. If the Commissioners and the school board “loved” the schools, work would be directed at fixing the schools not throwing money around and building unnecessary schools. Vote NO in November.
Hey Guilford County Overlords, let me give you a little bit of advice…
Quit wasting taxpayer money on stupid giveaway programs and rein in the whiny school board and make them live within OUR means
Just saying.
Simple answer. . . .cut expenses first. Notice there is never a request to cut expenses. If this were private industry, they’d do everything possible to not increase the costs of services or goods they make and sell. It’s time governments to do the same. . .do more, with less.
stunning how tone deaf they are that people are still struggling with adjusting to the impact of price inflation pair with salary stagnation.
Seven times NO equals NO
In my opinion, if the millions and millions being taken in by the bogus “education lottery” actually WENT to the schools, there’s be no need for a tax hike. Biggest scam in state’s history.
It was created by democrats in Raleigh to show their support for the teachers union, all of it to ensure the votes for liberals running for office. See how these things work?
Let skip know I’ll respond when I stop laughing. The only thing is if I doesn’t pass We will definitely see a property tax increase next year but ole well that’s the way the taxes go b
No, Guilford County does NOT need a sales tax increase. What it needs is to take a course in money management and budgeting. Don’t fall back on the citizens for their inability to make ends meet. Providing a tax increase will only open the door for future tax hikes…just as it has for property taxes.
Enough.
Pound Sand
Sales taxes never go away, vote NO for this tax. Just another in a ling line of wasting tax payer money.
I would suggest that all this “free money” is spent as they choose, not as earmarked (like our Federal Govt). Much of it to benefit the faithful.
Every dime extorted from us diminishes our freedoms by that much.
I have always resisted giving my hard earned money to any bureaucrats because that money always seems to be used for their pet projects, not for the good of the community. As a property owner, i have come to realize that every time a bill comes up to increase the sales tax, when it fails, then the bureaucrats just increase property taxes or fees for services (although the services are becoming less and less). Therefore, i will vote YES for the increase in sales tax because everyone pays not just the property owners. I do also understand that those bureaucrats can still increase property taxes, we are screwed regardless. I have decided maybe if everyone has to pay more (sales taxes) maybe the voters will start voting with their pocketbooks in mind.
All people pay property taxes. If you rent it is a pass-thru expense to renters via increased rents, just as corporations really don’t pay taxes because increased taxes to them are simply paid by individuals thru increased costs for their goods or services. Too bad economics 101 is not taught in our public schools. Vote NO on a sales tax increase and let’s turn over the school board to those who understand finance and budgets.
Many of us could review the budget and remove a lot of fat from the budget, starting with the size and number of people in administration.
Liberals don’t understand the laws of supply and demand, which is the first law of economics. If they do, they try and figure out ways to avoid telling tax payers the truth.
All people who own property in Guilford County might pay property taxes. How about facilities like retirement homes? These institutions do not pay property taxes thanks to the NC General Assembly. They like to call themselves “nonprofits” so they can skirt property taxes and skirt paying sale taxes. These retirement homes serve only the people who can afford to live there while other property taxpayers subsidize these facilities by paying higher taxes. Retirement homes pay lobbyists to represent them in Raleigh to protect their little scam on the rest of us: River Landing. DBA Presbyterian Home when they are feeling religious; Friends Homes; WhiteStone, formerly Masonic Home; Well-Spring, another Presbyterian Home; Pennybryn; Abbotswood at Irving Park. This is not a complete list of property tax dodgers. What makes these facilities so special that the NC legislators gave them a pass on paying property taxes? How do they benefit the people who live in Guilford County?
It’s BS, they will lie and tell you one thing and then turn right around and do what they want with the extra bucks. Get rid of all of the democrats out and get some conservative people in there.
A real message to the Board:
CUT YOUR SPENDING and you can find that 25M you want for bond payments.
Democrats hate to use the word “cut”. They will always want more funding to ensure their non-profits are getting the cash . . aka One Step Further.
If we approve a sales tax then reduce property taxes. Not fair to continue taxing people to death. I am beginning to dislike living in Greensboro because of the high taxes and wasteful spending.
We will welcome you to Pleasant Garden
Maybe they should have used some of the extra money from the most recent revaluation of property to help the teachers. I guess they didn’t, if they still need a tax increase. Instead of trying the same old same old over and over, maybe they should try something new, like adding a “teacher tip of 15%” option to the tax bills they send out, or an option to “round up” tax bills to an even hundred dollar figure for a “teacher’s relief fund”. They might even decide to “collect” on some of their “forgivable loans” and give the remittances to the teachers. But I guess they must really believe that taxpayers want more taxes.
People or should I say, Taxpayers this is just another example of lets throw money at it and hope it goes away. How do our schools rate nationwide? How does the current pay rate among other cities and counties? With all the money spent so far, are your children learning anything in the public shools? Teachers are asked to be, babysitters, law enforcement role models to unmanagable children, taking the own lives at risk, and the goverment wants to throw them a bone. It is time to make the parrents accountable and get involved. Show me improvement and we should provide merit based pay, based on the proper guidelines.
I’ll give them a middle finger from each hand.
Stop giving money to do nothing “Non-profits” and like magic extra $ are available.
Not by the hair of my vhinny-chim-chin!
The cost of everyday goods has gone up 20% in the last 3 years. I say they already have their tax increase.
Hear, hear.
Government is greed.
They need to go back to what they promised us when they lied to us about the “School Lottery Program ” that was supposed to go towards the school … they just lied to us just to get it passed … and where’s that money going now … but they will get their money one way or another weather it’s a sales tax increase or a property tax increase
I’m with the others. We have been lied to so many times. The lottery monies for schools was a joke.
Do what you say you are going to do. Stay in your budget.