I look forward to taking a seat on the next council and getting to work on the formidable challenges that lay ahead. The new City Council can ill afford to be complacent and conduct business as usual. Stronger alliances with the business community and educational interests are essential to rebuilding respect for the city's ability to achieve positive results on the critical issues such as growing crime and violence, achieving balance between growth and our ability to provide essential services, budget fiscal responsibility, and smart interface with the business community.
As a member of the new City Council, I believe we should immediately address issues that have ripped the community for the past few years. The new City Council should openly discuss the impact of the long Bledsoe series and look at the issues he has raised. We can determine if they are matter-of-fact, or unfounded. The matter of David Wray should be opened to discussion and resolved without delay. We owe this to Wray and to the officers who served under him, and to the many citizens who want a resolution that will restore a lot of lost pride in our city. We must make a decision on our city management to make sure the executive leadership is the one needed for the path ahead.
The new City Council must set an example of proficiency and community that will encourage civic involvement. I would like to see frequent meetings between council members and residents to discuss issues, concerns, and frank appraisal of the job the council is doing. I would like to see working sessions with business interests to listen to their plans and coordinate efforts to further their goals that will benefit the city.
If the new City Council goes to work in earnest, addresses unanswered questions, and maps a course of progress for all to see, I believe we will have a good start on the road to restored trust and respect in city government. It will be up to us to lead and show that we can get the job done for the good of all Greensboro citizens.
2 comments:
Bill:
I just want to say thank you for the time and effort you put into running for city council. I really do not think the general public/voters realized what an asset you would be to the city council with your CPA experience. Many times when budgets are presented, the city council have to rely entirely on the city staff to explain and interpret what they are reading or what it means. You could have closed that gap in a very meaningful way.
Your ideas were exactly what Greensboro needs, change and trust. Good luck and I hope to see you run again.
Betty Almond
Betty, thank you for your kind words. I wish I had been elected and will have to wait for another day to try again. I hope the new City Council will get down to the difficult tasks that haven't received adequate attention in the past. A continuation of status quo won't be sufficient to restore lost trust and the sense of accountability we all crave for.
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