County Manager Shontell Robinson will formally present the staff recommendation for the FY 2025-2026 Forsyth County Annual Budget on Thursday, May 8, following the Commissioners Meeting, which will start at 2 p.m.

The meeting will be held at the Forsyth County Government Center, 201 N. Chestnut Street. Commissioners’ Meetings are televised live and live streamed on WSTV and are live streamed on the County Commissioners’ Meetings webpage along with the County’s Facebook and YouTube accounts. The proposed budget will be available for review in the County Commissioners’ Office at the Government Center, on the Budget Department webpage after the presentation, and copies will also be distributed to County libraries.

The budget process will continue with these Commissioner Meetings:

• A Detailed Budget Review that will start at 9 a.m. on May 15.
• A Public Hearing on the budget, where residents can give their comments, will be held at 6 p.m. on May 19 at the Government Center. Those wishing to give comments remotely should call 336-422-1200 at 5:45 p.m. on the day of the meeting. They will be placed on hold and recognized to speak in the order their calls were received.
• A Budget Workshop on May 22 starting at 9 a.m.
• If needed, Budget Workshops will be held on May 29 and June 2 starting at 9 a.m.
• Special Meeting to possibly adopt the budget on June 5 at 2 p.m.

If the budget isn’t adopted by the commissioners on June 5, the commissioners will consider it at a later meeting in June, but prior to June 30, as required by state statutes.

As of today, one in three residents of Forsyth County is receiving Medicaid! Quite a shift from just ten years ago, when only one in five residents benefited from the program.

The significant change is largely due to our state’s bipartisan efforts to expand Medicaid, which has made comprehensive healthcare accessible to many residents who were previously not eligible.

In December 2023, North Carolina became the 40th state to extend Medicaid coverage to residents ages 19 through 64.  Medicaid was expanded to cover people in that age group making up to 138% of the federal poverty line, which is about $1,800/month for singles and $3,065/month for families of three.

Medicaid covers most health services including doctor visits, emergency care, dental care, vision and hearing services, prescription drugs, hospital services, behavioral health, preventive and wellness services, medical-related devices and more. There is no monthly fee and copays are never more than $4.

Applying for Medicaid can be done many ways, such as online at epass.nc.gov or visiting Forsyth Social Services at 741 N. Highland Ave. You do not need to bring anything to apply!

Expansion has greatly increased access to healthcare in Forsyth County, allowing residents to have a proactive approach and early intervention to their health. As more residents gain access to care, the healthier Forsyth becomes!

See staff discussing Medicaid Expansion on a radio show last month