¼ Sales Tax for Teachers

On March 3, Forsyth County voters approved a ¼ cent sales tax to fund local supplement increases for teachers working in WInston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. The tax will go into effect on July 1, 2020. It will increase the combined sales tax rate in the county to 7 cents for every dollar spent. It will not apply to some purchases like gas, groceries and prescription drugs.

Below is the timeline of how the referendum was placed on the ballot and how the tax is planned to go into effect:

• June 6, 2019 - County Commissioners adopt the Forsyth County 2019-2020 Budget Ordinance with a Board directed initiative to hold an Article 46 Sales Tax Referendum in March 2020 with the intention of using proceeds to increase teacher supplements.


• September 24, 2019 - The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education approves a resolution in support of the County Commissioners placing a ¼ cent sales tax referendum on the primary ballot and stating that all revenue it generates will be used for school employees.


• September 26, 2019 - County Commissioners approve a resolution that places a referendum on the March 3 primary ballot for the ¼ cent sales tax and commits all revenue it generates to the educational needs of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.


• March 3, 2020 - Forsyth County voters approve the ¼ cent sales tax.


• March 17, 2020 - The Forsyth County Board of Elections certifies the results of the referendum on the sales tax.


• March 19, 2020 - County Commissioners formally levy the ¼ cent sales tax.


• May 7, 2020 - Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education approves a budget devoting the revenue from the ¼ cent sales tax to local teacher supplements.


• June 11, 2020 - County Commissioners approve a Forsyth County 2020-2021 Budget Ordinance that repeals the one cent increase in property tax in the 2019-2020 budget that funded local teacher supplement increases, and allocates all the money from the ¼ cent sales tax to Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools for the purpose of increasing teacher supplements.


• July 1, 2020 - The ¼ cent sales tax goes into effect in Forsyth County.


• 2020-2021 School Year - Winston-Salem Forsyth County School teachers receive increased local supplements.