Feb. 19 - 25, 2016
bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since 1996
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Town asks for its share of sales tax As of July 1, 2003, only municipalities within Guilford County which levy a property tax on their citizens receive a share of state-collected sales and use taxes by PATTI STOKES STOKESDALE – Stokesdale Mayor Pro Tem Bill Jones says he recently spent three days reading through information
on the state’s Department of Revenue website. It was part of the process he underwent before drafting a resolution which was approved by the Stokesdale Town Council at its Feb. 11 meeting; Jones and Mayor Randy Braswell plan to hand-deliver the resolution to the Guilford County commissioners at their Feb. 18 meeting. The resolution states that from the date of Stokesdale’s incorporation on Nov. 9, 1989 until July 1, 2003, the town received a significant part of its funding from the distribution of sales and use
taxes collected by the State of North Carolina on every purchase made in Guilford County. The sales and use taxes collected by the state are distributed back to counties, which can decide whether the revenue will be shared with incorporated municipalities on a per capita or an ad valorem basis.
IN THIS ISSUE
Our readers continue to speak out
On Jan. 5, President Obama announced executive actions aimed at reducing gun violence. The president’s plan is to clarify who is “engaged in the business” of selling firearms, which comes with the requirement to be licensed and perform background checks on their customers. His plan also adds 230 more FBI workers to aid in processing background checks and establishes a $500-million federal fund designated for additional mental illness treatment.
The following is a continuation of the responses we received when we asked residents of northwest Guilford County for their opinion on President Obama’s actions to reduce gun violence … “The purpose of the Second Amendment was to ensure a well-regulated militia. We have that – there are five branches, if you count the Coast Guard – and there’s no one else in this country, cops included, who needs any type of assault rifle, automatic weapon, or large capacity magazine for their weapon. “This country would be better off overall with stricter gun laws. Rifles and shotguns have their place, out in the country where one can hunt down one’s own food, or take out predators. Hand-
When the commissioners voted in 2002 to change the sales tax dis-
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Gun control efforts: As reports of mass shootings and random violence with guns have become more common, the number of people who feel the need to arm themselves continues to grow. In response, an opposing group feels the need to implement stricter gun regulations.
The per capita method distributes local sales tax revenue based on population; the ad valorem method distributes the sales tax revenue based on the amount of property tax the incorporated municipalities levy.
guns have their place – inside one’s property, for personal protection, unless one has children. A house with children does not need handguns. Nobody but cops needs to have a handgun outside their personal property. “As a society, we have got to stop glorifying guns and gun violence. Movies and games and now restaurants (have you seen the one in Greensboro called Burger Warfare?) that glorify gun violence should not be readily available to children.” Lisa Skeen SUMMERFIELD “The President’s actions will do nothing to prevent gun violence in America.
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News in brief................................3 Your Questions ............................4 Northern football banquet ........5 Summerfield Town Council ........8 An unlikely music career......... 12 Bits & Pieces .............................. 13 Community Calendar .............. 14 Real Estate Briefs....................... 18 Real Estate Transactions ..........22 Youth/School news ..................25 Student Profiles .........................26 From frontlines to sidelines ......29 High School Sports ...................30 Letters/Opinions .......................32 Grins & Gripes ...........................33 Crime/Incident Report .............34 Classifieds .................................35 Index of Advertisers .................39 NWO on the go! ........................40