Guilford County Local Sales and Use Tax ReferendumAdd a 0.25% county sales tax
What your vote means
Guilford County adds a 0.25% sales tax (25 cents on a $100 purchase).
The county sales tax stays where it is.
Our one-line summary of the official wording.
In plain words
Our summary of the official materials and local reporting.
- Adds a 0.25% county sales tax on top of the sales taxes already charged. That is 25 cents more on a $100 purchase. source: ncsbe.gov (State Board of Elections)
- The official wording says how the money must be used: to be used solely for classroom teacher salary supplements (70%), for fire protection equipment and services (18%), for Guilford Technical Community College (8%), and for qualifying municipalities for allowable expenses (4%). source: ncsbe.gov (State Board of Elections)
- Expected to raise about $30 million a year: about $20.2 million for teacher and support staff pay supplements, $5.3 million for fire protection (mainly rural fire departments), $2.2 million for GTCC and $1.3 million for Oak Ridge, Pleasant Garden, Stokesdale, Summerfield and Whitsett. source: guilfordcountync.gov
- Groceries, prescriptions, gasoline and cars are not taxed. source: wfae.org
Cost: 25 cents more on every $100 of taxable purchases in Guilford County.
Why people want it, and why others object
Why this is on the ballot
- Guilford County commissioners approved a resolution on Aug. 6, 2026, to put a quarter-cent sales tax on the Nov. 3 ballot. Unlike past tries, the ballot wording names how the money must be spent. source: guilfordcountync.gov
- Voters turned down similar quarter-cent sales taxes in 2008, 2010, 2014, 2020, the 2022 primary and November 2024. source: rhinotimes.com
Why supporters want it
- Joanna Pendleton, president of the Guilford County Association of Educators: "The quarter cent sales tax for education will likely fund some teacher pay raises" and "the ballot language will actually say what the tax is going for." source: abc45.com
- Commissioners Chairman Skip Alston (April 2025, before this vote): "Homeowners should get behind a sales tax increase if anyone should," saying otherwise "the burden of increasing county expenses will fall on the shoulders of the property owners." source: rhinotimes.com
Why opponents object
No public statement found.
Who backs each side
No public record found of a campaign committee or campaign money for either side.
In each side's own words where we could find them, quoted or summarized with a link to the source. We don't endorse either side.
What you will see on your ballot
Official ballot wording, word for word (tap to open)
Word for word from the State Board of Elections' official list of local referendums for Nov 3, 2026: ncsbe.gov (State Board of Elections) .
Local sales and use tax at the rate of one-fourth of one percent (0.25%) in addition to all other State and local sales and use taxes to be used solely for classroom teacher salary supplements (70%), for fire protection equipment and services (18%), for Guilford Technical Community College (8%), and for qualifying municipalities for allowable expenses (4%).
- For
- Against
Latest news
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