Forsyth County manager proposes $581M budget with property tax increase

Forsyth County leaders are proposing a small tax increase to help balance the budget amid new funding requests. That’s according to a preliminary spending plan presented at a recent Board of Commissioners meeting.

The $581 million budget proposes property tax rates increase by about half a cent per $100 in property valuation.

Retiring County Manager Dudley Watts says the recommendation maintains current service levels and represents a return to normalcy post-pandemic.

"Unless there's kind of crazy economic things that occur, this is kind of how local government grows frankly from a revenue side," he says.

Watts says the county has had a lot of one-time funding boosts in recent years, but he couldn't see a way to balance the budget without raising taxes.

The largest spending increase is for schools, with a $6.7 million year-over-year increase. That's still far short of the school board's $20 million request.

A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for June 10. The Board could vote on it as early as June 13.