Quarter-Cent Sales Tax Increase For Teachers On Primary Ballots

Voters in Forsyth County are seeing a sales-tax proposal designed to support local teachers on their primary ballots. 

The quarter-cent Forsyth County Local Sales and Use Tax would raise the current sales-tax rate from 6.75 percent to 7 percent.

It comes after local officials said the supplemental pay schedule for teachers in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools hasn't had any major injection of dollars for nearly 20 years.

Forsyth County is the lowest of North Carolina's major urban areas when it comes to supplemental pay for teachers. The district says if more voters check “for” than “against,” teacher pay increases could range from $2,000 to $3,000 per year.

Another effect of approving the proposal will be that the Forsyth County property tax rate will be reduced by 1 penny per dollar. That will bring property taxes down, as they went up 3 cents per dollar just last year.

Groceries, gasoline, and prescription medications would be exempt from the tax increase.