$589 million. That's the recommended budget for Forsyth County expenditure during the 2026 fiscal year. Where will that money go? Let us break it down.

On Thursday, May 8, County Manager Shontell Robinson presented the budget, which aims to strengthen investment in education and position the county in a sustainable financial position while maintaining quality services.

Housing

Real estate values increased by approximately 51% on average in the county, leading to a slight increase in property tax rate. The proposed budget is $ 0.53 per $100 of property value, which is $0.042 above the revenue-neutral rate. For example, homeowners with a $269,700 property will pay $9.44 more per month for property tax, which is an annual increase of $113.27.

Education

Currently, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WSFCS) district is taking steps to address the budget shortfall. Superintendent Tricia McManus and the board are implementing a strategy that aims to generate $21.5 million in cost savings for next year to remedy the district's overspending.

The percentage of WSFCS students earning their high school diploma within five years hit a record high of 88.1% in the 2023-24 school year. | Photo by Jay Sinclair via Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools

With education being a top priority for the county, County Manager Robinson proposed allocating $6.7 million, a 3.9% increase to go towards recurring funds for WSFCS.

County services

Approximately $0.018 increase in taxpayers' dollars will go toward maintaining fire services throughout the county
$2 million in strategic investments will go towards public safety, more pay incentive for county employees + efforts to attract and retain top talent by providing salary increases

Share your thoughts

Talks about this budget are ongoing. Drop by Monday, May 19, to share your take with the board commissioners on how you'd like to see the budget prioritized. The public hearing will take place at the Government Center at 6 p.m. Residents can opt to call 336-422-1200 at 5:45 p.m. on the day of the meeting to share suggestions. Meetings will be live-streamed.

Commissioners aim to adopt the budget on Thursday, June 5, which will go into effect Tuesday, July 1.