Just a few minutes ago, Sen. Trudy Wade’s bill restructuring the Greensboro City Council passed the Senate by a 33-15 vote. The bill now heads to the House, where it likely will pass, albeit with amendments. If it indeed passes the House, it will become law because local bills cannot be vetoed by the governor.
Rhino team of John Hammer and Mark Shiver (the alt-weekly’s new Raleigh reporter) add their insight:
The bill, which radically changes the way the Greensboro City Council is elected, is opposed by the majority of the members of the Greensboro City Council. In fact, the City of Greensboro paid for a van to drive Mayor Nancy Vaughan and City Councilmembers to Raleigh to oppose the bill on Tuesday. No such transportation was provided for those in favor of the bill who also went to Raleigh to speak to the Senate redistricting committee on Tuesday.
…The opposition to the bill falls largely into three camps. One is Greensboro city councilmembers who see their chances of getting reelected greatly diminished. Two, the Democratic Party and its offshoots like the League of Women Voters, which has had several speakers at every event. And three is the News & Record, which has gone absolutely ballistic in it opposition.
The real question is whether the current City Council is doing a good job or whether it isn’t, and if it isn’t, would changing the way councilmembers are elected be helpful. If those who have come to City Council meetings to speak against the bill would hang around for more of the meeting they might change their minds on whether or not change is needed.
Indeed.That said —-and to be fair to opponents of Wade’s bill — it’s not as if there hasn’t been some change on the council in recent years —the election of Bill Knight as mayor in 2009 is the best example. Yet we keep getting the same old council—handing out to anybody who asks, obsessing on MWBE contracts, treating so-called “free” federal money as some sort of blessing from above. If if in your mind that dictates change from above, then Wade’s bill is not a bad thing. At least it’s not the worst thing to befall Greensboro since, well, the Klan-Nazi shootings, as the N&R would have us believe.
