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County Manager Shontell Robinson presented a $589 million budget to Forsyth County Commissioners on May 8 that maintains high-quality services, strengthens investment in education, and positions the County for long-term sustainability and responsible growth.

This budget was done during a reappraisal year. Reappraisals are conducted every four years to adjust real estate values used for property taxes to reflect the current market. This year’s reappraisal found the county’s real estate values increased approximately 51 percent on average. State law requires the county calculate and publish a revenue-neutral tax rate with the new real estate values that would produce the same amount of revenue as the current 67.78 cent tax rate. The revenue-neutral rate decreases the tax rate by 18.74 cents to 49.04 cents.

The property tax rate in the proposed budget is 53.24 cents per $100 of property value, which is 4.2 cents above the revenue-neutral rate. For the average median home value in Forsyth County of $269,700, that would be a $113.27 increase in annual property tax, which is the equivalent of $9.44 per month.

For the first time in years, Forsyth County’s recommended budget does not use fund balance to support recurring expenses, marking a significant step toward long-term financial sustainability and reducing its reliance on one-time funds. Fund balance represents the cumulative difference between revenues and expenditures and serves as a key indicator of the County’s fiscal health. Maintaining a strong fund balance reserve helps ensure sufficient cash flow for daily operations and provides a financial safeguard for unforeseen emergencies. It also plays a critical role in supporting the County’s AAA bond rating, which Forsyth County has proudly maintained for nearly 30 years. This top-tier rating allows the County to borrow at the lowest possible interest rates—ultimately saving taxpayers money and reinforcing long-term financial stability.

The budget grew by a modest 0.9 percent over the current fiscal year. Education remains the county’s top spending area with a $6.7 million, or 3.9 percent, increase in recurring funds for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, using a new funding formula that provides predictable and sustainable funding.

The budget recommends $2 million in strategic investments, nearly half of which is offset with revenues, for the county’s most critical needs like public safety. This includes nine new positions plus a reclassified position and a vehicle purchase for the Sheriff’s Office, two new county fire positions and shifting a 911 CAD system administrator position to fulltime. There are also additional positions for the Animal Shelter and Social Services in the proposed budget. There’s continued funding for the violence intervention program Forsyth WINS and a shift to prorate holiday pay for county employees proportional to the hours they work.

To support the County’s ability to attract and retain top talent, the proposed budget continues to fund performance-based salary increases for employees. Key budget drivers also include rising health insurance costs and increased state-mandated retirement contribution rates.

It also adjusts all fire service districts to their new revenue-neutral tax rates and includes a 1.4-cent increase in the countywide fire overlay district tax, bringing its total to 1.79 cents. This adjustment will support the County’s fire suppression, prevention, and inspection efforts; fund baseline staffing levels across all districts to improve response times; and help advance the goal of a more equitable and stable fire service system for residents.

The proposed budget also includes funding for community programs with Opioid Settlement Funds, Behavioral Health Funds, Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC) Funds and Home and Community Care Block Grant (HCCBG) Funds. However, the proposed budget does not include other Community Grants (previously known as special appropriations) due to financial constraints this year.

"The recommended budget reflects a responsible, balanced and future-focused approach," said Robinson. "It addresses Forsyth County's most immediate challenges while laying a strong foundation for long-term financial sustainability and operational excellence —ensuring we can continue delivering high-quality services that residents rely on and value."

The budget process will continue over the next several weeks as the Board of Commissioners deliberate upon and adopt a final FY26 spending plan with these Commissioners Meetings:

• A Detailed Budget Workshop beginning at 9 a.m. on May 15.
• A Public Hearing on the budget, where residents can give their comments, will be held at 6 p.m. on May 19 at the Government Center. Those wishing to give comments remotely should call 336-422-1200 at 5:45 p.m. on the day of the meeting. They will be placed on hold and recognized to speak in the order their calls were received.
• Budget Workshop on May 22 starting at 9 a.m.
• Budget Workshops on May 29 and June 2 starting at 9 a.m. (if needed)
• Special Meeting to consider budget adoption on June 5 at 2 p.m.

Meetings will be held at the Forsyth County Government, 201 N. Chestnut St. They are televised live and live streamed on WSTV and are live streamed on the County Commissioners’ Meetings webpage along with the County’s Facebook and YouTube accounts. The proposed budget will be available for review in the County Commissioners’ Office at the Government Center, on the Budget Department webpage, and copies will also be distributed to County libraries.

If the budget isn’t adopted by the commissioners on June 5, the commissioners will consider it at a later meeting in June, but prior to June 30, as required by state statutes.

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The Forsyth County Budget and Management Department is responsible for the preparation, administration, and compilation of the annual budget for all County services. Budget & Management is a support department for the County Manager’s Office.

Specific activities include:

• Expenditure and revenue forecasting;
• Assistance and advise to departments regarding budget requests and amendments;
• Analyze all budget requests and preparation of the County Manager’s annual recommended budget;
• Preparation of the recommended and approved operating budget presentations and documents;
• Prepare and update the County’s multi-year capital improvement plan;
• Management of non-profit and outside agency budget requests and administration of funding; and,
• Perform management analysis and program evaluation for the County Manager, Board of County Commissioners, and County departments.

Thank you for your interest in Forsyth County, North Carolina. And remember, please let us know how we're doing by clicking the "We Care" link on the right-hand side of the County’s home page.