The N&R editorializes on the latest legal mess involving the White Street landfill, Gate City Services and Greensboro City Council members Nancy Vaughan and Zack Matheny:
Gate City’s lawsuit requests that Vaughan be forbidden by law from voting on landfill-related issues until the court rules. Since the lawsuit requests that the court resolve the matter within 10 days after a restraining order is issued, that could be too late for next week’s first vote on the specific terms of the contract.
When a judge hears the latest legal challenge on Friday, he or she could restrain Vaughan from being a part of that vote.That means the slim majority on the council that favors reopening the landfill could move the contract forward even before the court issues a final decision on Vaughan and Matheny’s voting status.
Of course, if the council were to choose that route, it would be a cynical and ignominious ploy that would undercut respect for fair play and due process on a sensitive issue. Unfortunately, it also would be true to form.
Again the burden of ‘fair play’ is being placed on conservatives. Meanwhile, the Rhino’s John Hammer writes:
If the four members of the council, Knight, Wade, Thompson and Rakestraw, really want to open the landfill at all costs, what they could do is allow Vaughan to vote down the Gate City contract and then negotiate with Waste Industries because Vaughan can’t vote on the Waste Industries contract. Except now she has decided that she can even vote to award the contract to a company where she says that her husband is a “contract employee.” Another day, another lawsuit.
The N&R has advocated making the landfill a referendum on the upcoming council election. But while the N&R thinks the landfill vote should be delayed until after the election, I believe conservative council member should just let it ride and then take the results to the voters.
I guess the question is how much control conservative council members have over Gate City Services. I’ll venture to say they have no control, so the best thing they can do is press on and just wait for another day, another lawsuit.
