I think the thing that’s most surprising is the Greensboro City Council’s reaction to the newly-surfaced memo discussing the black book, a memo city leaders apparently didn’t know existed:
Councilwoman Mary Rakestraw was livid Thursday and called for Johnson to be fired. She said she asked Johnson and city attorneys three times in a closed session of the council whether any other information “went along with the ‘black book.'”
She said she was told “Not at this time.”
“I feel that I have been lied to,” she said. “I feel that Mitch needs to be dismissed on this issue. This is outrageous. I cannot tolerate this behavior any longer.”
Other council members stopped short of calling for Johnson’s resignation, but they indicated his job is in jeopardy.
“The citizens of our city are tired of misstep after blunder after crisis,” Councilman Mike Barber said.
“This most recent incident of noncommunication is the last one that I will tolerate as a council member without calling for a new team with three goals: communications, public trust and customer service.”
(Council member Robbie) “I don’t think it looks good at all for the city to say they didn’t have something like this, then say they have it,” Perkins said.
Down Eugene Street, the Guilford County Board of Education opts for CFO leadership, hiring chief fifnacial officer Sharon Ozment and chief of staff Eric Becoats as co-interim superintendents following the official resignation of Superintendent Terry Grier on March 23. At the very least, the selection of co-interim superintendents indicates that the board is leaning toward bringing someone in from the outside to take over.
We have leadership issues here in Guilford County. Let’s hope elected officials take them seriously and address them head-on with the mindset that things need to change.
