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A study from the state association of county commissioners shows that there were only 25 counties that increased property tax rates for 2008-09.

Of course, Guilford County was one of those.

When reading the numbers, multiply the figures by 100 to get the property tax rate in cents per $100. For example, Wake county's property tax rate increased by 2.5 cents in a year that also included a property revaluation. Mecklenburg County did not increase its property tax rate.

And here's Guilford County's take
on how the budget stacked up for 2008-09.

How do you feel about how Guilford stacks up with the rest of the state?

The county's director of public health, Merle Green, has compiled a list of staff suggestions for spots around town that offer healthy lunches.

She sent it along to us, and it lists places and menu items for food that's not just a burger and fries.

It's no comprehensive list, so if you have a suggestion for a healthy lunch, feel free to add it in the comments section.

Kirk Perkins said today that he visited the animal shelter in Forsyth County, a new facility that he's been trying to stop by since it opened.

Perkins, Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, is also a board member on the Guilford County SPCA.

While at the Forsyth shelter, Perkins looked for some ideas.

"We need to look at building a new shelter in Guilford County," he said.

Problems have been a part of Guilford County's animal shelter, it seems, for decades. Overcrowding, disease spread and adoption questions have all come up along with other issues over time. (Cached link here)

And it's rabies season now, Perkins mentioned. That's likely to bring the shelter to the front of people's minds as more calls for animal control go out to deal with rabies cases.

"I think it is going to be a topic of discussion and sometime later this year," Perkins said of building a facility. "There are some people who want to make a presentation about a new, modernized animal shelter."

At least one person appears to have been working on some type of shelter design, which has a link to the Guilford County Animal Shelter and features photos and drawings of some shelter designs.

Do you believe it's time to begin talking about a new animal shelter? Can Guilford County afford it?

There was a little something for City Council buried in Carroll Buracker's extensive review of the Greensboro POlice Department:

Greensboro police officers think council has too many knee-jerk reactions.

The report doesn't say exactly what officers were referring to when they made this comment. But there is an interesting dynamic between the council and the police department. Many council members got elected on promises to make Greensboro a safer community and clean up the police department.

They have voted according to those promises. They have added a gang unit. Added $500K extra to the city budget for police. They wanted more money for the robbery suppression unit.

Perhaps some of those decisions were knee-jerk reactions. After all, the consultant reports that the city doesn't need a 17-member gang unit -- which was approved by council earlier this year.

But then again, just about the only thing council is empowered to do in regard to the police department is spend money and make policy decisions. When they have residents complaining about the police department, what else can they do?

"Do your job right. Do it swiftly, and you won’t have a problem with council," Councilman Mike Barber says of the police department.

So, dear Scoop readers, have you found anything interesting in that police report? Dive in and let us know.

In today's paper, we're doing an overview on what plans Guilford County commissioners are making to build the $115 million jail, which is the most expensive single project that the county has undertaken.

On Tuesday, the jail construction committee voted 3-1 to recommend that the county use a construction manager at-risk method to build the jail. Commissioner Steve Arnold voted against it because he was happy with the plan they already had.

In short, the recommendation is to hire contracting companty that will not build the jail themsleves, but use its contacts and expertise to pick and coordinate subcontractors who will build the jail. In many cases, if the constriction manager at-risk can use that flexibility to choose better contractors rather than the lowest bidder.

In the old way, the county just goes with the lowest bidder.

So here's some of what didn't make it into the paper:

We ran a story earlier this week about a committee evaluating Greensboro's electronic sign ordinances - or lack thereof. The committee held its second meeting Thursday.

For anyone interested in following the committee's progress, Greensboro planning manager Rawls Howard will update the newly posted Web site with upcoming meetings, decisions and pending issues.

According to an e-mail message from Howard, all information that has been circulated to date is now available online.

Greensboro City Council will be asked for $1 million worth of economic incentives Tuesday night for a proposed retirement community.

Council members have said it's a good project in a good location. But the issue has also brought to life an ethical debate among council members.

Kisco Senior Living, which has senior housing facilities in six states, is looking for a new location in North Carolina. They already run two complexes -- Heritage Greens and Abbotswood at Irving Park -- in Greensboro. Now they are looking to develop the former Pilot Life headquarters at 5300 High Point Road into a new facility.

They're asking for help to get city water and sewer services out to the site. They want a $1 million grant over four years.

For the benefit, they will invest $98 million in renovations of existing buildings and will create 125 jobs with an average salary of $30,600, according to information provided by the city.

Council has been looking for a good reason to spend economic development dollars. And several council members say this would be good development on a site that has been unused for years.

But Councilman Mike Barber has raised issues about the way the issue was brought to council.

Councilman Robbie Perkins represents the land owner, Lincoln Financial Group, and would get a commission if the sale is approved. It was Perkins who introduced the potential buyer to the city's new assistant city manager for economic development, Jim Westmoreland.

Westmoreland brought the issue to city council in a closed session. Perkins sat out. Some council members first learned about the request, and Perkin's involvement, that evening.

Barber asked that council be made aware of possible incentive requests, and any council members involvement, as soon as the issue reaches a city leader's desk.

Barber requested a closer look at the ethical issues. Perhaps he will get his chance Tuesday night.

If you live in Guilford County Districts 1 or 6, then you may wonder where your commissioner has been for the past few days. They're here, in Kansas City, Mo.

So are At Large Commissioners Paul Gibson and John Parks, and County Manager David McNeill.

We know they hit the National Association of Counties conference from a note in McNeill's weekly update, a rundown of odds and ends in county government that the manager logs.

There are occasions -- we here at Scoop fully admit -- when we feel like members of the Peanut's cast in the classroom, trying to understand the teacher. Often we sit there in the audience of government meetings, mouths agape, hearing little more than confusing, squawking noises coming from those on the dais.

Tuesday night at city council, the reporters weren't the only folks in a haze.

Mayor Yvonne Johnson attended the meeting "telephonically" (she listened over the phone, since she was in Texas visiting family.) But every time she offered some comment, it came out painfully muddled.

When she was voicing her support for an incentive request, it came out something like, "Whunh wunhch waah wunh waaa."

Looks like council might have to reconsider their telephone attendance policy -- unless someone can get a better connection.

Earlier today, Guilford County Commissioners Chairman Kirk Perkins gave us a little insight into his thinking on almost $1 million in incentives that FedEx Ground is seeking Thursday.

"It's about putting out the welcome mat," he said, referring to incentives. Though he wasn't committing to any yes votes on the money, he said that while a tax rebate might be the issue (a company doesn't see a dime until they meet hiring and investment minimums, then pay their taxes), the show of support from a local government may be the tipping point for getting a business here.

"They want to be welcomed and embraced," Perkins said.

City council got into a late night debate about potential changes to the city's sidewalk cafe policies.

It seems that a downtown martini bar owner asked that he be allowed to run his outdoor cafe as late as he runs his business.

The issue prompted an array of questions. Is it bad to have people out on the sidewalks late on weekends? Does it cause more crime? Are there safety risks?

The debate swirled just long enough for Councilman Robbie Perkins to suggest a field trip.

Why doesn't everyone come see for themselves by having a night out downtown? he asked. Say, July 26, starting at midnight?

City Attorney Terry Wood, who is always watching council's back, duly reminded him that any gathering of 5 or more council members constituted an open meeting. Council should expect a trail of reporters.

We here at Scoop are in favor of a council member pub crawl, for all of-age Greensboro residents. We prefer gin and tonic with a twist of lime.

Put it on Perkins' tab.

Those closely reading the N&R's extensive coverage of the recent review into the Greensboro police might have noticed a certain person was absent from the coverage: City Manager Mitchell Johnson, who came back from a two-week vacation just long enough to hear the report.

Well, he was back Tuesday, and wasted no time affirming his commitment to change in the PD.

The $249,000 consultant report commissioned by city council made more than 100 recommendations for changes within the department, including adding additional staff and changing promotional practices.

“I wanted council to know in no uncertain terms that I intend to move forward with the implementation of this report,” Johnson told council members Tuesday night.

City staff will review the report, consider other ideas for how to resolve certain issues, evaluate the financial feasibility of the changes, and provide a revised list of priorities to city council, Johnson said.

Johnson said he was proud of the police department.

“This will be a long process. There is a lot of very good information in the report,” he said.

Hey folks!

When the Guilford County Commissioners make their decision on the FedEx incentives tonight, we'll post an update here on the website.

Or, you can watch the meeting live on the 'web or on cable channel 13.

GREENSBORO - Guilford County Commissioners approved $952,500 in incentives tonight for FedEx Ground to locate a southeastern United States shipping hub in Kernersville.
The company said that it would settle on a location within two months. Guilford County is in competition with locations in Tennessee and South Carolina for the hub.
Commissioners Steve Arnold and Billy Yow voted against the incentives in a 9-2 vote.
The incentives would be paid over the first three years that the company pays property taxes. Over that time the county would receive a property tax revenue gain of $585,934. The incentives are only paid to the company after meeting certain hiring and investment requirements.
The project, if located in Kernersville, would be the first in Triad Business Park. FedEx said it would expect to add 259 new jobs by 2014, which breaks down into 109 full-time jobs paying an average of $40,584 a year, and 150 part-time jobs paying an average of $14,878 annually.
Though the address for the potential project belongs to Kernersville, the land for the area is in Guilford County.

Get more on this story in Friday's News & Record.

Over their past few meetings, Guilford County Commissioners have looked at whether the sheriff’s office should get a light plane.

What would have been an administrative decision has turned into hours of conversation.
The Department of Justice would buy the plane, and the money from sheriff’s office confiscations would pay for the aircraft’s operation. Alamance, Davidson, Randolph and Rockingham counties would all use the plane to do stuff such as search for missing people and look for marijuana fields.

Commissioners Melvin “Skip” Alston and Bruce Davis were concerned with the $1 million insurance policy on the aircraft. They thought it was too small, and spent about an hour Thursday on that and other concerns.
“If this crashed, and it killed two to three people,” Alston said, “there’s a possibility for us to be held liable.”

If the sheriff’s office crashed a car and killed some people, the county could be held liable too, Commissioner Linda Shaw noted.

So the wonks here at ‘Scoop checked into some accident rates.

In the last 10 years there’s been one recorded crash with the plane, a light two-seater called a Savannah VG. Both the passengers survived, said Dick Knapinski, spokesman for the Experimental Aircraft Association.
Nationwide, 50 law enforcement officers died in traffic-related accidents in 2007, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

A free plane from the feds with a good safety record, paid for by money taken from bad guys?

Sounds like a deal.

Not to Alston.

“This is a not a tool, it’s a toy for the sheriff’s department to use,” he said.

The vote passed 8-3, with Alston, Davis and Carolyn Coleman voting no.

Two recently-released reports chock-full of stats are now online for the good folks of Guilford County to peruse.

The 2006-07 Citizen Performance Report shows survey info from a group of regular citizens (and 87 percent of respondents feel that life is good here!), along with figures such as child support payment levels, incentives offered to businesses and crime rates/public safety.

Then there's the Service Efforts & Accomplishments Report. It's a dense 105-page document that, in eight chapters, covers embracing diversity, creating a more prosperous community, ensuring public safety and others. We'll get to that right after we polish off that pot of coffee.

Really. That's kind of our thing.

Going back to the citizen report, that will be the subject of several upcoming forums, where you could win a $50 gas card for attending and giving your feedback. We know that government meeting stuff can be dry. But a gas card?

Which, if you live within five miles of the meeting locations, and walk to the forum, may well be worth it.

The forums will be held at 7 p.m. at the following dates and locations. Call 641-3242 for information:

High Point
Aug. 5, Macedonia Family Resource Center, 401 Lake Ave.

Oak Ridge
Aug. 6, Oak Ridge Town Hall, 8315 Linville Road

Greensboro
Aug. 12, Greensboro Public Library, 219 North Church St.

Aug. 13 Guilford County Center barn kitchen 3309 Burlington Road

Notice an unusually large number of clipboard-wielding folks outside your neighborhood grocery store or Dollar Tree?

About 200 people attended a rally today at Governmental Plaza to hear Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean talk about the importance of grassroots voter registration drives. Many of those in the crowd dispersed with packets of registration forms once the speech - part of Dean's Southern-state "Register for Change" bus tour - ended. Each packet included a map and a section of town to canvass.

Dean said Sen. Barack Obama will win the upcoming presidential election if his supporters actively encourage their friends and neighbors to vote.

"One of the things I like the most about Barack Obama is that he understands that America is at its best when everybody is part of the community," Dean said. "This is going to be neighbors knocking on neighbors doors. So the truth is, Barack Obama's not going to win, I'm not going to win, Jerry Meek - the chairman of the North Carolina party - is not going to win. You're going to win this one."

Check out Decision 08 for more from Dean on reaching out to North Carolinians and why he isn't "allowed to do lists."

Traid Watch is watching your commissioners. Check it out.

Tax Director Francis Kinlaw said that mailing tax payments to Charlotte, where Wachovia handles the money and deposits for the county, is a quicker and cheaper way of handling the money due to Guilford County each year.

Here's the fact sheet that he sent out explaining the decision.

Some commissioners, including Linda Shaw, said they wished they had seen the information before the decision was made to make the switch. But the switch was mentioned in a county manager's update, a weekly newsletter that David McNeill sends out each week.

That was a few lines, back in March, based on a contract with Wachovia from before.

Are you OK with it? Have any folks out there had trouble with the switch?

In June, Councilman Robbie Perkins asked council to re-examine the mayor's salary and other benefits.

This prompted his fellow council members to complain that they were woefully underpaid -- much less than other big North Carolina cities. Perhaps a pay raise is in order for everyone on council?

Well, we here at Scoop made a few phone calls, just for comparison sake. It looks like Greensboro is about on par with other Triad cities. Greensboro City Council earns slightly more than councils in Winston-Salem and High Point.

When it comes to the cities that are about the same size as Greensboro (North Carolina's 3rd largest city), local council members earn slightly more than council in Raleigh (No. 2 in population size) and a lot less than Durham (No. 4 in population size). Raleigh city council members, it seems, haven't had a pay raise since the first George Bush was in office.

Perkins points out that he is most concerned about the other council benefits -- like insurance through the city and paid staff to help meet council needs -- not salary.

“The set up in the manager’s office doesn't give the mayor or the council enough support in a town that is going from a small town to a big city," Perkins said.

Still, it's something to consider. The raw numbers:

Greensboro salaries
Mayor:$15,000 annually, plus $1,800 for travel expenses
Mayor pro tem:$12,600 annually, plus $1,800 for travel expenses
Council members:$11,400 annually, plus $1,800 for travel expenses

Large North Carolina cities
Raleigh
Mayor: $15,000 annually, plus $1,200 per year for travel expenses
Mayor pro tem: $12,000 annually, plus $1,200 per year for travel expenses
Council members:$10,000 annually, plus $1,200 per year for travel expenses

Durham
Mayor: $22,173 annually, plus a $25,000 expense allowance
Mayor pro tem:$18,835 annually, plus a $5,000 expense allowance
Council members: $18,835 annually, plus a $2,500 expense allowance

Fayetteville
Mayor: $26,944.73 annually, plus $921.36 allowance
Mayor Pro-tem:$15,594.76 annually, plus $921.36 allowance
Council members: $14,731.62 annually, plus $921.36 allowance

Triad cities:
Winston-Salem
Mayor: $12,078 annually, plus a $500 monthly expense stipend
Council members: $9,333 annually, plus a $225 monthly expense stipend

High Point
Mayor: $13,200 annually, plus $250 for expenses
Council members: $9,600 monthly, plus $200 for expenses

Jim Rumley’s cell phone was blowing up (that’s what the kids say when it rings a lot, repeatedly) on Tuesday during an editorial board interview for District 59 in the North Carolina General Assembly.

For the record, Scoop doesn’t get involved in that editorial stuff, that’s not our bag. But we like to see candidates under the gun of an hour of questions.

So as Rumley is about to launch into his philosophy on recruiting industry and incentives, his phone rings for the third time in a row.
“It’s my wife,” he said, adding that she doesn’t typically call repeatedly like that, and then he stepped out of the room.

Incumbent Rep. Maggie Jeffus picked up the question and the interview went on, and Rumley eventually came back after a few moments.
Turns out that Rumley’s son has a friend who was using one of Rumley’s trailers to move furniture and got into an accident.

“Well, he lost something off the back of the trailer,” Rumley said.
Nobody was hurt, but we hope that there wasn’t a dinged recliner as a result. The recliner in the Scoop lounge (OK, cave) still has an arm wrapped in duct tape from the last tumble it faced.

Greensboro's longtime city clerk retired Thursday.

City staff, council members and former public officials toasted Juanita French Cooper, who has served 30 years with the city.

"It's been a wonderful ride," she said Thursday at her retirement party.

Councilwoman Mary Rakestraw sang a little tune for her. Former City Manager Ed Kitchen wrote her a poem. Former Mayor Keith Holliday offered her a new job running the concession stand at the Carolina Theater.

"It's the things behind the scenes that literally keep us propped up," Holliday said. "This woman doesn't make mistakes."

Her colleagues said Cooper has been an unflappable professional who worked overtime to get the job done right. When she goes off into retirement, she is taking a lot of city secrets with her, they said.

Even a fellow local writer had nice things to day about her.

"Sometimes, on rare occasions, we try to get things right," said the Rhino Times' John Hammer. "If we absolutely had to get things right about the city, we could go to Juanita."

We agree, she was a reliable source. And that's the highest compliment from a reporter.

So long, Juanita. Good luck on the next chapter.