GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Guilford County Commissioners discussed a proposed $855 million budget Thursday night.
During the meeting, a group of detention officers pleaded for greater investment in their department. They said they're short-staffed, and they need to find a way to recruit and keep officers.
"Our officers are so short-staffed that it's becoming dangerous," an officer said during the hearing.
Sheriff Danny Rogers addressed his concerns at the meeting.
He said the staffing issue is a nationwide problem, and he did not know those officers were coming to the meeting.
County leaders said the budget expands investments in public education, funds major school facility capital needs, helps the county meet additional demands for service, and addresses staffing concerns.
The budget recommendation includes the following:
- An additional $73.6 million for education to support the operating and capital needs of Guilford County Public Schools and Guilford Technical Community College.
- $251.6 million for Guilford County Schools o Includes $241 million to support operations, a $16 million increase over the FY2022 adopted budget, which is the largest one-year increase for school funding. o Includes $10 million for school capital outlay, a $6 million increase over FY2022, to address on-going school capital maintenance.
- $19.7 million for Guilford Technical Community College, a $1.6 million increase over FY2022 for operating and capital needs.
- $50 million for future education capital needs based on the voter-approved bond referendum passed on May 17, 2022. This $50 million increase will begin to fund Guilford County School’s known school facility needs to implement the school capital master plan.
- Commitment to sound fiscal management. The budget reduces the County’s reliance on its savings to balance the budget by $9.4 million. This strengthens the County’s financial position and enhances its ability to manage through emergencies and maintain service delivery, regardless of the economic climate or outside factors.
- The recommended budget includes 51 new positions to address service demands, improve the County’s ability to manage and protect public assets, and bring the County into compliance with standard staffing ratios. Many of these positions are partially or fully funded by federal and/or state revenues. In total, the County has about 5.3 positions for every 1,000 residents, one of the lowest staffing ratios in the state.
- Recommends the County move to a four-year reappraisal cycle, so property value assessments more closely match current market values. A more frequent reappraisal cycle minimizes large increases that can occur over longer cycles and more promptly adjusts values based on market conditions. This next property reappraisal will occur in 2026 and be reflected in the FY2027 budget.
- Guilford County has 24 fire protection and service districts that provide fire response service in areas of the county not serviced by a municipal fire department. The primary funding for each district is property tax revenue generated by a special district tax. Recommended tax rates for fire districts are included in the budget.
The Guilford County Board of Commissioners will hold public work sessions on June 8 about the budget. A final vote is expected on June 16.