High Point Development News

High Point City Council Approves Budget with Tax Rate Increase and Firefighter SSA

The High Point City Council convened to discuss and approve its annual budget. Key discussions centered on the impact of Senate Bill 889, which imposed a moratorium on property reappraisals, leading to a significant reduction in projected tax valuations for High Point. This necessitated adjustments to the proposed budget, increasing the property tax rate from an initial proposal to 73.49 cents. The council also debated the inclusion of a Special Separation Allowance (SSA) for firefighters, weighing the costs against the need to remain competitive with neighboring municipalities like Greensboro. Ultimately, after extensive debate and consideration of various financial scenarios, the council approved a budget with an 8.74 cent increase in the property tax rate, incorporating the SSA by finding internal budget adjustments rather than further increasing the tax rate. Several other budget items, including funding for the High Point Market Authority and Visit High Point, were also approved.