Forsyth County concerned about federal cuts amid ongoing budget crunch

Forsyth County leaders are worried about how the Trump Administration’s funding cuts will affect their budget. 

County Manager Shontell Robinson says federal funding is critical to many departments, including social services and environmental protection. The public health department has already been impacted, losing access to nearly $1 million set aside for COVID relief. 

“We had to let go temporary staff literally overnight," she said. "Funds were cut. And so we do anticipate potentially more." 

The uncertainty comes amid an ongoing budget crunch for the county. Tax revenues have been lower than projected. And earlier this year, departments were told to cut a total of $10 million from their bottom lines in order to shore up the fund balance — a kind of savings account.

Robinson says that account needs to be kept at a certain level to maintain the county’s credit rating and ensure it can weather any big economic storms. So far, they’ve cut $7.7 million, mainly through hiring freezes. She says it’s unlikely they’ll reach the $10 million target. 

“The reality is that we don't want to impact services," she said. "We are responsible for providing services to our residents, and so the end result may be that we end up utilizing a little bit of fund balance this year and then really just trying to figure out ways to shore it up in a better way for fiscal year '26.” 

The county is currently in the process of creating the 2026 budget — it will be presented in May.