Issues
What do I offer as a candidate for mayor?
- Fresh leadership
- Ability to be a full time mayor
- Years of experience as a businessman and employer
- Ability to lead and build team consensus where it counts
- A pledge to look ahead and not backward
What I see as the important issues facing Greensboro:
- Economic development
- Control over increases in spending, taxes and fees
- Disturbing crime statistics
- Trust and accountability in city government
- Effective representation and action on the concerns of all citizens
How I intend to address these issues:
Economic development:
Bring a business face back to the City Council. For too long the council has concentrated on social issues while our economic engine was sputtering. There has been virtually no economic or business discussion in the council agenda. We have double digit unemployment and a shredded manufacturing base – it’s time to get down to working and developing solutions.
City government must prove that it is a “business buddy” and go out of its way to accommodate the needs of our business community through streamlined approval processes, minimal red tape, and openness to dialogue with business over matters that mean so much to the community. The city should be able to improve on the fees it charges businesses for things like waste disposal. Instead of increasing fees the city should be looking for ways to bring them down, especially in the difficult economy we are facing.
Pay attention to the advantages of regional alliance with other communities in the Triad area. We will have more clout collectively rather than as individual communities when it comes to having relocation discussions with the likes of Boeing, General Electric, or other large businesses. Greensboro must be actively engaged with other Triad cities in a common effort to improve our overall economic standing. We all stand to gain from cooperation.
The city can pay closer attention to development efforts in the area of the airport. PTI may contemplate additional expansion of airport land in the future: the city must take steps to ensure that valuable business tax base land is preserved in the event of further PTI growth.
Control over increases in spending, taxes, and fees:
Greensboro has the highest tax rate of any of the largest cities in North Carolina. I intend to work on lowering our standing on this list. The mayor gives scant attention to financial matters: witness how poorly the annual budget process was handled. I intend to look closely at how the city collects and spends its money and find ways to eliminate unnecessary spending. I am interested in seeing if steps can be taken to reduce or eliminate general fund subsidies to other funds.
Crime and public safety:
Recent reports suggest increased criminal activity in certain areas, particularly along the High Point Road area. Gang related murder and assaults continue to be a problem. Crimes are occurring at properties owned and managed by Greensboro Housing Authority, an agency whose board members are appointed by the mayor. As mayor I will undertake a review to determine what steps are being taken by the GHA board to eliminate crime and acts of violence within its domain, and if sufficient interaction with the police department exists. Residents of every housing facility must be adequately protected at all times.
Five years ago we had a world class police department; today that is not the case. Most highly experienced command personnel have been forced out. The department appears reactive to growing crime instead of pursuing vigorous proactive policing in high crime areas. Following a recent string of murders the newspaper reported that the police chief was reviewing the numbers to determine how to respond. The police department should be ahead of the curve on this by deploying sufficient experienced officers on patrol, particularly at night and on weekends. High police visibility in troubled areas, supported by efficient intelligence gathering capability, will serve to deter further criminal activity. Response times requiring police dispatch have more than doubled in recent years, according to data in the last audit report.
As mayor I will expect the police department to attain its annual certification with ease, and show that it is following proactive policing policies and handling internal matters involving discipline in ways that win public confidence.
Trust and Accountability:
I expect city government to place citizen interests first and foremost in all matters. I expect anyone in city government, whether elected or employed, to handle matters efficiently and openly. Unless required by law or of a personnel nature, I expect meetings to be open and accessible by media and public. Ethical conduct, no conflicts of interest, and professionalism will be the expected norm. I am running for mayor because I have witnessed many cases of abuse and deceit that were not warranted. I plan to change that to a city government that our citizens and taxpayers trust and respect.
