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The Nov. 4 victory by incumbents on the Guilford County Board of Commissioners means the board will remain the same until at least 2010, the next election year for commissioners.

Some of the winners said recently that they would tap this continuity and the momentum they have on several projects and use them as an advantage.

Below is a sampling of some of the issues commissioners face next year and beyond.

THE NEW GUILFORD COUNTY JAIL

Somehow, Guilford County must build a jail. Voters approved a $115 million bond for it last year, and Thursday, the county will review construction manager proposals to lead the project. To county residents in 2009, paying for that bond means about $51 in added property tax for a $200,000 home. Construction should begin next year, if the money is there.

The bonds haven't been issued yet, and investors may not buy them when it's time to sell in early 2009. Investors have been cautious with their money lately, and as a result, in October, several North Carolina counties delayed or scaled back bond projects. Doing that here could hurt the county. "The longer we wait, the more it's going to cost," said Commissioner Linda Shaw about the construction costs.

FAILED SALES TAX = HIGHER PROPERTY TAXES

In 2008, county commissioners twice failed to sell the public on a quarter-cent sales tax, once in May and again on Election Day. The board had promised to use an estimated $16 million in annual revenue to pay school construction debt, which is close to the annual payment for the county's school projects.

"I question whether that will go back on the ballot again," said Kay Cashion, vice chairwoman of the Board of Commissioners. Commissioner Billy Yow characterizes the failed sales tax as a choice by voters to raise their own property taxes because the board promised to spend the added tax revenue to keep down property tax rates.

A NEW LEADER FOR COMMISSIONERS

This time every year, commissioners pick a new chairman, who sets the agenda and leads meetings. Possibilities include Commissioners Melvin "Skip" Alston, Cashion and John Parks, with several others naming Cashion as the front-runner. "She has indicated that she would like to be chair," Commissioner Paul Gibson said. "John (Parks) has put some feelers out, and I could support him for vice chairman."

The board's next chairman will likely be a Democrat, the dominant party on the 11-member board. Cashion hasn't decided whether she'd like the job, and Parks is out of the country this week. Selecting Cashion for 2009 would likely continue leadership under one of the milder personalities among commissioners, succeeding Chairman Kirk Perkins. As he took leadership of the board, he spoke often of his plans to unify the sometimes fractious group.

A NEW HEALTH CLINIC

When a health department report in early 2008 cited high rates of heart disease, cancer and low mobility for residents in the southeast section of the county, the board agreed to put aside $250,000 to build a health clinic there. Work on the clinic has progressed, but details must be worked out between the Guilford County Department of Public Health and potential partners, such as Moses Cone Health System.

"Definitely we want to partner with them on the medical staff," Merle Green, the county health director, told the commissioners Thursday. This past summer, Green said the clinic could be a public-private venture, but details are unclear.

THIRD-LARGEST BUDGET STATEWIDE

Setting the budget is the biggest single act that the Board of Commissioners does each year. That decision sets hiring and spending standards for most of the county departments. At $587.9 million, the county's annual budget is behind only Mecklenburg and Wake counties as the largest in the state. Bonds that passed in May will likely affect next year's property tax rate, and Gibson expects that rate to increase roughly 4.5 cents in the 2008-09 budget. That means about $100 more on the tax bill of a $200,000 home. Yow blamed that increase on voters. "They go out there and vote for these school bonds, and they're just going to have to pay for it," he said.

In May, the commissioners voted to put the bonds before voters in several referendums. More than $651 million in bonds passed, including $412 million for school construction. Since then, commissioners from both parties have said voters are responsible for the associated property-tax rate increases. Those commissioners also have the final say on the county's budget, including tax-rate increases or cuts. To meet the payments on the bonds, Gibson proposed the property tax rate increase, "or cutting out 20-some million from the budget."

Miscellaneous items to be discussed: More issues that may pop up for the commissioners could include drafting a government efficiency plan, combining the county planning department with Greensboro's planning department, raising money for an animal shelter and holding a series of town hall meetings to set policy goals.