“One Guilford: Ready, Set, Go!”
That was the theme of Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston’s 2024 State of the County Address this year, which Alston used to highlight Guilford County’s successes over the past 12 months and also to speak about the upcoming plans meant to enhance local government services for area residents.
In the speech, Alston talked about preparing Guilford County for its continued growth, its focus on strategic planning, and the moves the county is making to improve the lives of its citizens.
It’s a tradition each year for the chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners – sometimes called the “Mayor of the county” – to give an annual address each fall to let county residents know how things are going. Since Chairman Skip Alston now appears to be chairman for life, it’s pretty much an ongoing tradition currently that it’s Alston who gives the State of the County Address each year.
Which is exactly what Alston did once again on Wednesday, Oct 9. at 5 p.m. in the auditorium on the first floor of Union Square Campus in Greensboro.
If you ask the average citizen, they may point out that the county just took on, by far, the greatest amount of bond debt in county history, and also that their property tax bills are 25 to 30 percent higher than they were a few years ago.
However, it’s the job of the chairman during the State of the County Address to be positive and upbeat, and that’s exactly the tone Alston had.
During the State of the County Address, Alston gave updates on the multitude of new county-wide initiatives that the Democratic-led board has undertaken in recent years with the guidance of Guilford County Manager Mike Halford.
Some of those initiatives include the formation of the Guilford County Homelessness Taskforce, various economic development projects and the county’s expansion of mental health and substance abuse response services – including progress on the Lees Chapel Residential Recovery Center and the Women with Children Recovery Center.
“Over the past year, we’ve made a lot of progress on our strategic initiatives,” the chairman said during the speech. “We remain focused on maintaining readiness, as well as chartering a path for future growth and sustainability. The future of Guilford County is bright. Together, as One Guilford, with our municipal and community partners, we’re ready, we’re set, and now it’s time to go! Let’s rise to the challenges, continue to plan for our future, and continue transforming Guilford County into a beacon of opportunity for everyone to live, work and thrive.”
Over the last two and a half years, Alston has begun pushing this One Guilford theme and holding collective meetings with the mayors of towns and cities in the county in an attempt to get everyone working together and moving forward progressively while remaining on the same page.
During Alston’s 2024 State of the County Address, he highlighted the following items among others.
Guilford County’s Continuum of Care partnership is beginning to include enhanced support for shelters, increased spending for case management and support for rapid rehousing programs.
Ten years ago, the Guilford County government had practically nothing to do with homelessness – it was a city and town issue. However, over the last seven years, Guilford County has begun to play a more and more important role in addressing the problem – a problem which has been a huge headache, and sometimes even worse, for many people who work and live in downtown Greensboro
Alston also pointed to Guilford County’s investment in the Servant Center to establish a medical respite program, as well as the county’s economic development gains in the last year.
No matter what one’s political leanings or views of the county’s leadership, it’s absolutely undeniable that Guilford County and the surrounding region have become a powerful magnet for businesses of all types from aviation giants to logistics companies to biomedical firms with cutting-edge tech. In fact, the county has been attracting so much business that some people – experiencing the traffic, the long lines in stores and the roads being shut down due to constant new construction – are starting to ask if the county is bringing in new business too quickly.
Theoretically, one supposed benefit of bringing in new business is that it will increase the value of the tax base and citizens can therefore see some cuts in their property tax bills; however, when you have a Board of Commissioners that never sees a project it doesn’t like – and therefore that spends every dime that comes in and much more by taking on more debt – well, that advantage remains purely theoretical, and citizens are just stuck with longer lines, higher housing prices and traffic that often resembles Atlanta’s.
During the speech, Alston stressed the need for more affordable housing, but he didn’t mention that the commissioners make housing less affordable every time people are forced to pay more in property taxes.
Other items Alston highlighted in his speech were the county’s formation of Guilford County’s award-winning Adult Resource Team, which works to reduce non-emergency calls.
Guilford County Emergency Services Director Jim Albright told the Rhino Times this summer that that program had been working like a charm and he added that hundreds and hundreds of calls that used to be made to 911 are now handled by that team, which works to address problems largely coming from those who repeatedly call 911.
(For instance, one man who was wheelchair-bound lived on the second floor of a building with no elevator and he called 911 every time he needed to leave the apartment and every time he arrived home. The Adult Resource Team, which includes social services workers, found the man a ground-floor living space and helped him move into it.)
During his address, Alston also spoke on the establishment of the health benefits division under Social Services to support Medicaid expansion, the opening of Claxton Elementary School using some of the county’s $2 billion voter-approved school construction bonds.
The 2024 State of the County Address was streamed online through Guilford County’s Facebook page and on the Zoom platform. For those who missed the speech but would like to see it, a recording of the 2024 State of the County Address will be available on the county’s website (guilfordcountync.gov) at some point in the near future.
The tradition of an annual State of the County Address began in 2017 when former Republican Commissioner Jeff Phillips, then chairman of the Board of Commissioners, delivered the county’s first-ever such address and held a press conference immediately following.
The county is awesome as long as they continue giving out these exquisite raises to commanders and management positions, even though they already make more than they’re worth.
Right. Hahahahaha
In the past, County Commissioners would REDUCE the tax rate when houses increased in property tax value to stay revenue neutral. Skip did not do that and we ALL suffer the consequences. Shame on them. Sounds like a good reason to elect Republican commissioners.
skip better say everything is peachy – he holds all the tax dollars. the county gets fed/state money for housing the homeless so that’s a revenue source that’s exploited and the homeless never get out of the cycle. Nobody wants to “peel the onion” and get to root cause of homelessness, low income housing or anything to really help the folks who need the help.. that would upset the money distribution system.
So true. There should be onion peeling for failing schools. Vote NO to tax increase.
Sales tax keeps getting voted down…meanwhile property taxes will go up w/o a vote. If you own property in the county and vote no to sales tax you are asking for property tax to go up.
You must be joking.
I’m confused as to how you think property taxes in Guilford won’t continue to rise sales tax increase or not.
It is “peachy keen” for the faithful. More and more of those on fixed incomes are seeing their fiscal world collapse, directly due to this local govt, and the govt in Washington.
Our govt is out to destroy the middle class. Why? So that everyone except those at the top, and in power; will be dependent on the Govt.
Miller, The Globalists are trying to impose worldwide neo-feudalsim, and one of the elements of feudalism is that the serfs must live a subsistence existence, without any extra resources other than those necessary to survive.
They mustn’t be able to afford meat, mobility, or mansions. That’s why they’re instigating inflation, among other measures.
And transportation.
Nailed it!
Some non-profit organizations provide a service to the community, however, there are others whose return on investment may be questionable. At some point a non-profit should be able to stand on its own without the infusion of money from the County or the City. It is time for many of the non-profits to stop sucking the teat of the local governments and stand on their own. The local governments should determine a set time for governmental support for non-profit organizations. For example, establish a rule that a non-profit cannot receive support from City of Greensboro or Guilford County for no more than 5 years. The five year period could be considered seed money to help the non-profit to become established. During the five year period the non-profit should have established a viable pathway to obtain funding through charitable and corporate contributions. Any non-profit organization in which a Council or Commissioner member has a vested interest, should be excluded from receiving any governmental support because of the appearance of a conflict-of-interest. The bottom line is that non-profit organizations should not consider that the city and county governments are not a perpetual or primary source of financial support for their organization.
I could not agree more. You have too many non- profits getting funded without any vetting process. There are multiple agencies doing the same thing. These agencies should be fundraising, applying for grants applicable to them; not relying on our tax dollars. It’s time for Mr. Alston to go!
No way to prove what I’m about to say but I’d be willing to bet that skips downtown money pit has gotten a lot of donations since the county’s non profit budget was passed. Most of those that got taxpayer money were ones that people had never heard of. Easy way to funnel money back the money pit
Agree. However, should be the same at the state level. Retirement homes for the well-heeled should not receive tax benefits. When the retirement communities do not pay property taxes and NC sales tax, you and I make up the lost revenue. When will North Carolinians wake up to the tax-exempt scams and demand changes?
Improving the lives of Guilford County residents is an untruth. Low and fixed income residents are being robbed by this administration of quality of life. Having to put away money to pay the exorbitant tax bill instead of taking a small vacation or buying groceries.
What did he have to say out the “Peachy” Sheriff’s Office? Did he mention the 120 vacancies that the Sheriff isn’t filling because nobody wants to work for him. I have talked with numerous current Deputies, and they are hesitant to talk about the Sheriff’s Office because they feel like they will be fired, like many of their co-workers for no reason. People are working way too many hours to make up for the vacancies and that is putting them in danger. This has got to stop before more get hurt on the job, just like that Detention Officer who was severely injured, almost died and will never work again. The Sheriff is more concerned with wearing Cowboy hats, bow ties and smoking cigars then caring for his employees, let alone the residents of Guilford County. Thanks, Skip, for no update.
We would like to see you leave you have been in office too long and it’s time for you to leave.
Demand term limits to assure the end of future Skippy Alstons.
Liar.
For whom, one wonders.