Forsyth County Board of Commissioners

Interim Superintendent Catty Moore shared the debt reduction news with the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners at a meeting this week.

A compounding pharmacy plans to redevelop the long-vacant former courthouse building into a mixed-use facility containing office space, retail, and a pharmacy.

The money will go toward purchasing a 0.26-acre lot next to the future Ashley school site, construction services and architect fees.

The adopted resolution calls for the state and federal governments to halt the project if environmental concerns aren't fully addressed.

Commissioners did say they were willing to establish a payment plan for the school district to meet its more than $5 million in unpaid obligations to the county for school resource officers, nurses, fuel and lease payments.

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education opted not to ask the county for more money to cover the $13 million in cuts the district needs to make to avoid a deficit. But at the budget hearing, teachers took matters into their own hands.

County Manager Shontell Robinson says federal funding is critical to many departments, including social services and environmental protection. The public health department has already been impacted, losing access to nearly $1 million set aside for COVID relief.

Last year, the board voted to experiment with a new schedule that allowed for an evening meeting once a quarter. The first one of those was held late last week, and the public came out in droves to push for more of them.

Forsyth County Commissioners discuss critical decisions about funding for everything from the school system to emergency services during budget workshops. But the meetings aren't broadcast to the public.

The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners has approved its list of priorities for the next three to five years. One of them is developing a sustainable funding formula for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.