Guilford County commissioners approve resurvey of Randolph County line

Guilford County commissioners moved ahead in April with a resurvey of the county line with Randolph County, a boundary that has not been officially updated in nearly 80 years. What looks like a narrow map correction could determine where 24 properties are taxed, which schools children attend and which 911 center answers when a call comes in.

Marlena Isley, Guilford County’s GIS manager, said the line was first surveyed around 1948 or 1949 by a third-party engineering company, long before GPS, satellites or modern GIS tools existed. County officials said Guilford and Randolph tax staff met in June of last year to review the issue and discuss where the old line may no longer match current records.

The county has identified possible discrepancies of roughly 2 to 20 feet from west to east in some sections of the boundary. That kind of gap can sound small, but in local government it can change which county has jurisdiction over a home, a business or a vehicle. Isley said the line affects 911 response, tax jurisdiction, school assignments, voting precincts and personal property taxation on items such as cars, boats and other vehicles.

Later this year, Guilford County plans to notify affected property owners with joint letters and preliminary maps so residents can see what the updated line could mean for their parcels. The effort is aimed at removing uncertainty before it turns into a dispute over service delivery, tax bills or land records. In growing parts of the Piedmont Triad, even a few feet can matter when county boundaries decide who responds, who records the parcel and which district a property falls into.

The move is not unprecedented. Guilford County and Forsyth County completed a similar boundary adjustment in 2024, when about four parcels were transferred to Guilford County. Randolph County’s GIS system already tracks property, zoning, tax districts, flood plains, watersheds and elections information, underscoring why accurate county lines matter beyond a simple cartographic update.