Last night the state Senate approved the bill making school board elections in Forsyth County nonpartisan.
But it’s still questionable exactly what the change hopes to accomplish:
Most of the current school-board members oppose the change to nonpartisan elections, including Vic Johnson, one of the board’s three Democrats.
Johnson said that one of his big objections is how the bill was hustled through the General Assembly by Democratic legislators.
“It really was unethical — the way it was pushed through the legislature,” he said. “It was a sneaky thing.”
He said it’s possible he would have supported the change if it had gotten more discussion or if voters were given a chance to vote on it in a referendum. But as it is, he is worried that the change will hurt black representation on the school board.
“There is a possibility that blacks will lose positions,” he said. “It has not been explained to me how we are going to increase black representation in the community.”
Fair enough, Sen. Linda Garrou pledged to support a future bill that would make the Democrat-controlled Winston-Salem City Council nonpartisan. I hate to once again admit my ignorance, but I was surprised to read that Winston’s council is partisan, because if a conservative voice exists on that council, I sure haven’t heard it.
