Community Safety
The Sheriff’s Department and Winston-Salem Police Department have stellar leadership and are doing a great job, but they are undermanned, underpaid and overwhelmed with the spike in violent crime. These law enforcement agencies need to be supported, with competitive salaries, increased staffing and state of the art equipment and facilities. When Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough comes to the County Commission asking for help, he needs our full support. Without civil order, the infrastructure in this county will not survive lawless assaults on the citizenry of this wonderful community.
Economic Development
Forsyth County is one of the most attractive in the state. If we want to continue to attract individuals and companies to this region, we need to offer solid zoning and planning for business and aggressively pursue commercial opportunities that will generate jobs with decent wages.
Housing
There is no question that there is a marked housing shortage in the county. Again, planning is the key. It does nothing for a community to grant approval for high-density housing in an area where access and amenities cannot be guaranteed with the necessary infrastructure. We have a great county zoning plan. We just need to honor it, and support environmentally sound single and multi-family developments that are comfortable and affordable.
Education
The pandemic hit grades 1-12 of our school system hard. We need to rebuild, with a premium on public education that serves the majority of our youth while consuming a third of the county’s annual budget. Our children deserve a legacy of competent instruction that will serve them well in the next generation. Under the Leandro decision from our judiciary, every child in this state has the constitutional right to a sound basic education.
Fiscal Responsibility
Forsyth County is blessed with time-tested social support programs like the Children’s Law Center and Family Services. We need to be sensitive to the needs of those in our community who are less fortunate and need opportunities that only we can provide, but we also need to be good stewards of public funds, to ensure that the money we spend is used wisely to promote the general welfare of the county. We are blessed with a host of nonprofit charitable foundations that offer so much to those with so little. The County Commission has an obligation to work with and support these valuable resources.
