County commissioners-turned Greensboro City Council members Mary Rakestraw, Trudy Wade and Mike Barber say a new age is dawning:

Regular City Council watchers can expect more probing questions of city staffers. Barber, Rakestraw and Wade grilled county staffers during meetings and requested reams of material on issues before casting votes.

The trio said Wednesday that’s a trait to admire, not scorn. Elected leaders are responsible for the choices they make, they said. The only way to ensure healthy government is to collect as much information as possible, they said.

The three leaders — along with Councilwoman Sandra Anderson Groat, who was re-elected Tuesday — ran on platforms of increasing transparency in city government. They argued City Hall should bring controversial issues into the open, even if it means not portraying a unified front for the TV cameras.

No more rubber stamps, we hope.