By now you’ve heard the High Point City Council voted 6-3 to pass a resolution asking Mayor Bernita Sims to resign due to her personal financial troubles.
Funny reading about the controversy surrounding Sims from all the way over here in Gboro I regarded it as a character issue —much like Greensboro Mayor Robbie Perkins and his personal and financial issues. Yes public servants are human but they’re held to a higher standard because they handle the people’s money. So it’s fair to ask whether a person with financial problems should be in that position of responsibility.
You know how much I love love High Point, I don’t spend a lot of time there, but I decided to drive over and catch the meeting and after about five minutes I discovered –duh–this is a racial issue. The majority of the audience was African-American, and howls went up when the passed by—you guessed it —racial lines. All public speakers voiced support for Sims, while some council members —notably Becky Smothers –stated they had received much communication from constituents calling for Sims’ resignation.
Smothers also emphasized how the vote was simply for the public record so now everyone can “just leave us alone.” So until Sims is officially charged with some crime, it appears her resignation isn’t happening.
