County Manager Shontell Robinson discusses how Forsyth County’s budget is funded and allocated across key services. She also encourages residents to stay engaged in the upcoming FY27 budget process.
May 2026 - Vol. 20
Forsyth County Commissioner Chair Don Martin speaks at the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Volunteer Reception.
County Manager to Present Recommended Budget on May 7
Budget Deputy Director Kimberly Busse makes a presentation to county commissioners as Budget Director Kyle Wolf, County Manager Shontell Robinson and Deputy Chief Financial Officer Lee Plunkett look on during a Budget Workshop.
County Manager Shontell Robinson will formally present the staff recommendation for the FY 2026-2027 Forsyth County Annual Budget on Thursday, May 7, 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 St. Commissioner 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 recommended 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 will start at 9 a.m. on May 14. This will include a presentation from Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools for their county budget request.
- A Public Hearing on the budget, where residents can give their comments, will be held at 6 p.m. on May 18 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 21 starting at 9 a.m.
- If needed, a Budget Workshop will be held on May 28 starting at 9 a.m.
- Special Meeting to possibly adopt the budget on June 4 at 6 p.m.
If the budget isn’t adopted by the commissioners on June 4, the commissioners will consider it at a later meeting in June, but prior to June 30, as required by state statute
Donation Stations at Local Farmers Markets
You can drop off produce in N.C. Cooperative Extension, Forsyth County Center’s Donation Stations at local farmers markets to help local families.
You can find Donation Stations at
Cobblestone Farmers Market - Every Saturday beginning in May through December - 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Farmers Market - The second Saturday of every month from May through September – 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Clemmons Farmers Market - The third Saturday of every month from May through September - 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
County Manager
In This Issue
County Commissioner Update
While a lot of the commissioner's time in May will be taken up by the budget, they also have their regular briefings and meetings, as well.
During briefings, staff brief the commissioners on the items they'll vote in that week's meeting. During meetings, they vote on various items and hear from residents during their regular public comment session.
Here are this month’s meetings:
- Monday, May 4 2 p.m. Briefing
-
Thursday, May 7
10 a.m. Bimonthly Morning Discussion Meeting
2 p.m. Meeting - Monday, May 18 3 p.m. Briefing
- Monday, May 21 2 p.m. Meeting
Forsyth County Commissioner Chair Don Martin also visited WTOB Radio recently to tape an episode of Piedmont Perspectives with Bob Scarborough discussing the recent passing of former Commissioner Dave Plyler and other topics, including the FY27 County Budget.
All commissioner meetings are held at the Forsyth County Government Center, 201 N. Chestnut St. Meetings are streamed live in their entirety on Forsyth County YouTube and Facebook, as well as the Forsyth County website (where you can also find meeting agendas) and are also broadcasted live on WSTV13 on Spectrum cable.
Health Fair and Naloxone Training at Old Town Neighborhood Center
Forsyth County Health and Human Services (HHS) is holding a Health Resource Fair and Naloxone Training this month at Old Town Neighborhood Center, 4550 Shattalon Drive.
The Health Resource Fair will be held from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on May 12 with community organizations that offer healthcare, counseling and social service resources.
The Naloxone Training will be held 6-7:30 p.m. on May 19 and will teach participants how to reverse an opioid overdose.
These events are a collaboration between Forsyth County HHS, City of Winston-Salem Recreation and Parks, and the Winston-Salem Transit Authority.
Monthly resource fairs and trainings are held at different recreation centers or the Transportation Center. You can see the full list of Health Resource Fairs and Naloxone Training sessions here.
Cooperative Extension Honors Volunteers
N.C. Cooperative Extension, Forsyth County Center recognized its volunteers with an awards reception last month. Our local Cooperative Extension volunteers contributed 16,228 hours in 2025 (a salary cost equal to $564,573) and helped 19,640 residents in our community! We appreciate everything our Extension volunteers do for our county! The volunteers who received awards were:
- 4-H Volunteer of the Year - Carla Arrowood
- Master Gardener Volunteer of the Year Award - Gary Ritz
- Natural Resources & Environmental Systems Volunteer of the Year Award - Dan Helm, Katherine Tombs, Melody McMichael, and Matthew Perry
- Family & Consumer Sciences, Foods & Nutrition Volunteer of the Year Award - Ann Wagoner
- Family & Consumer Sciences, Financial Literacy Volunteer of the Year Award - Haley Wood-Thornhill
- Community Gardening Program Volunteer of the Year Award - Janine Tillett
- Friend of Extension Volunteer Award - Acacia Fike-Nelson
- Small Farms, Urban Agriculture, & Local Foods Volunteer of the Year Award - John Rothrock (not pictured)
View more photos from the Cooperative Extension Volunteer Reception.
Maternal Care
Forsyth County Public Health hosted a Respectful Maternity Care Simulator™ for OB providers last month at Wake Forest Baptist Pediatrics' Winston East office.
This simulation was grounded in real-life patient stories shared by families who have experienced serious complications or “near miss” events. Participants engaged in both prenatal and postpartum scenarios within clinical settings, taking on roles such as provider, patient or family advocate. Each session included a simulated encounter followed by a guided debrief, creating space for reflection, learning and growth around communication, patient advocacy, bias and respectful care.
The morning session was filled with Forsyth HHS staff and with community providers filling the 26-person class held in the afternoon.
The simulation was sponsored by Healthy Blue, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina’s Medicaid Managed Care plan and was conducted by First TEAM America, LLC.
Legislators Visit Highland Avenue Center
We hosted the Forsyth County Legislative Delegation last month at the Highland Avenue Center to express our appreciation for their $12.5 million appropriation supporting the expansion of behavioral health services in the county. During the visit, they toured the facility and we also briefly discussed the county’ s legislative priorities.
Legislators in attendance were NC Representatives Kanika Brown, Kyle Hall, Jeff Zenger and NC Senators Dana Jones and Paul Lowe. We plan to host NC Reps Donny Lambeth and Amber Baker for a tour in the near future.
The visit provided a valuable opportunity to showcase the wide range of services available in Forsyth County to support residents. Many of the legislators had not previously visited the facility and appeared genuinely impressed by both the scope of services offered and the impact of the work being done.
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