GREENSBORO, N.C. — Greensboro is preparing to trim more than $6 million from its current budget as city leaders try to get the city off a state list of local governments that need help managing their money.
City Manager Trey Davis and his staff laid out a timeline for the reductions during a City Council work session on Thursday, Oct. 22. The goal is to stop relying on $6.3 million that had been set to come out of the fund balance, the reserve that works like the city’s emergency savings account.
The push follows a move last month by the North Carolina Local Government Commission, which placed Greensboro on its Unit Assistance List. The commission flagged the city for tapping that reserve again and again to balance its books, so leaning on the $6.3 million is no longer on the table.
Assistant city managers are now going department by department to find spending that can be pulled back. The city is also hiring an outside consulting firm to take an independent look at how its finances are structured.
Several council members, among them Mayor Pro Tem Denise Roth, said the city should expect to keep searching for savings beyond this round, including more reductions later, if it wants to reach long-term financial stability.
A final council decision on the package is set for Dec. 15. Between now and then, department heads are expected to bring their proposed reductions forward, and the outside review could shape what the city does in future budget years as well. Residents who want to weigh in can follow the proposals at upcoming council meetings.
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