WS Chronicle

On Monday, April 7, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners and other county staff will come together for a budget workshop. The workshop, which will be held at County Government, is the second in a series of workshops and meetings leading up to the presentation and adoption of the 2025-2026 budget.  

Commissioners will hear about updates on human resources, budget drivers, capital projects and more. You can view the full agenda for the meeting at coforsythnc.civicweb.net. 

During the first workshop held last month, county staff discussed several pressing issues including cost-cutting strategies, the possibility of adopting an education funding formula, special appropriations, the county tax rate, and more. On April 7, staff is expected to expand on those talks.  

Forsyth County operates on an annual budget to fund various county services and initiatives. Last year the board of commissioners approved a $583.7 million budget. Most of the money went to education, which accounted for nearly 95% of the total budget, $190 million. That was an increase of nearly 5% or $8.3 million from the previous year. This year it will be interesting to see how county officials plan to address funding for public schools.  

Last week Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS) released findings from an audit that showed the district overspent by $16 million during the 2023-2024 school year. To address current budget concerns, the district has implemented several cost-cutting measures, including cutting more than 70 positions.  

This 2025-2026 budget proposal will be the first presented by County Manager Shontell Robinson. Robinson, who was sworn in last year, is the first Black person and first woman to hold the position. When discussing funding for public schools, Robinson made it clear that her budget proposal will include an education funding formula. “My manager’s recommended budget will include a funding formula, whether the schools agree to it or not,” said Robinson during the budget workshop last month. 

“I’m not going to get into any policy decisions. Certainly you (county commissioners) can decide if you want to increase it or decrease, based on policy.”  

Here’s a list of upcoming budget workshops and meetings, along with dates and times:  

*Commissioners’ budget workshop – April 7 at 9 a.m.  

*County manager presents proposed budget – May 8 at 2 p.m.  

*Detailed budget presentation – May 15 at 9 a.m.  

*Budget public hearing – May 19 at 6 p.m.  

*Budget workshop – May 22 at 9 a.m. (if needed, additional workshop on May 20 and June 2)  

*Special meeting to adopt the budget – June 5 at 2 p.m.   

If the budget isn’t adopted by the board of commissioners on June 5, it will be considered at a later meeting in June, but prior to June 30, as required by the state. All budget workshops and meetings will be held at the Forsyth County Government Center, 201 N. Chestnut St. Meetings can also be streamed on Facebook, YouTube, and the county’s website.