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Forsyth County Budget Includes Tax Increase and Teacher Supplements

Revenue from the 3 cent tax increase will be used to help build a new courthouse and teacher supplements for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. KERI BROWN/WFDD

Forsyth County commissioners have approved their budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which includes a property tax increase.

The more than $458 million budget passed this week with a 5-2 vote. A large chunk of money is earmarked for education. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools will see more money for operations and other services.

There's also a property tax increase on the way to help pay for a new county courthouse and teacher supplemental pay. The rate will go up 3 cents for every $100 of valuation. The district would see an estimated $3.7 million for the teacher supplements.

The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office is also getting a budget boost. Some of the money will be used to fund five new positions and the department's new role in overseeing Animal Services.

The county is also directing more funds to grow several human services programs. One of them is the Stepping Up Process to End Recidivism. It provides support services for those with mental illness and substance use issues in the county jail. This will allow the program, which currently serves women, to expand and serve men as well.

The new budget year begins on July 1.

*You can Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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