The Greensboro City Council unanimously voted to oppose Sen. Trudy Wade’s bill that restructuring the council. Tony Wilkins, initially the lone council member who expressed support for Wade’s bill, joined the rest of the council in opposing the bill:

“I’ve said from the beginning there are some things I support about the bill and some things I don’t,” Wilkins said after the vote. “I support a referendum on it. I’m not going to sit up here and say that people shouldn’t have the right to vote on this. They should.”

Wilkins said he supports the portion of the bill that cuts the City Council from nine members to seven and a mayor who is elected at-large. He also supports those seven members coming from districts and doing away with the two at-large members who now serve on the board.

He opposes granting the mayor, who would otherwise vote only in the case of a tie, the power to veto actions of the council.

The council will hold a public meeting on Wade’s bill on March 3.