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Greensboro at-large city council candidates fielded questions at the Neighborhood Congress forum last night better than the Cardinals and Rangers fielded batted balls in their dramatic but error-filled World Series game.

There were even some surprises ... like when Nancy Vaughan was talking about crime in her Old Irving Park neighborhood, where her home was broken into three times in five years.

Because her husband is sometimes away, "I thought about buying a little handgun," she said. Instead, she sleeps with a kitchen knife next to her bed.

The question was about neighborhood gripes. Danny Thompson, who lives in the Cardinal, is still sore about annexation, engineered, he said, by "Mayor Johnson." That's ex-mayor Yvonne Johnson, who's also an at-large candidate this year, and who was sitting immediately to Thompson's left.

Residents were given no say in the matter, Thompson said, and they "still don't have sidewalks, street lights, a city park ..." There was "no planning" done, he said, except to annex.

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Johnson blamed the current council for City Manager Rashad Young's imminent departure for Alexandria, Va.

"I think he left because he was frustrated and micromanaged to death," she said. He might not have stayed a lot longer, she added, but he would not have left so soon were it not for the council.

Marikay Abuzuaiter expressed a similar view, noting that Young told her when he arrived two years ago that he wanted to raise his children in Greensboro. Something bad happened to make him change his mind, she said, adding that lately "I could see him wearing down."

(Young has not indicated his decision was based on dissatisfaction with Greensboro or the council. This line of reasoning fits a particular political narrative. The opposing narative, mentioned by Bill Knight at his debate with Robbie Perkins Oct. 17, is that Young's ambition from the start was to end up in the Washington, D.C., area. I hope to ask Young about all this myself and will report if I get a response.)

Update, with Young's response:

When he was looking for a position 2+ years ago, Young did resolve that there were two places outside Ohio where he was interested in living. Those were North Carolina and the D.C. metro area. So it is reasonable to infer that when the first good opportunity in the D.C. area presented itself, Young would pursue it.

As to being frustrated to the point of wanting to leave, Young told me he's not interested in being the subject of a political debate. He hasn't always agreed with the council, but he hasn't always agreed with any council he's worked for. He doesn't expect he'll always agree with the council in Alexandria. That goes with the territory, and someone who can't deal with that is in the wrong line of work. This isn't about compromising integrity or ethics but recognizing that the elected governing board sets the policy and the manager works for the board.

There have been times, he said, when he's told council members privately what he thought about their actions, but not always.

As far as Greensboro, Young says it's a great place to live and have a family, it has many community assets and a great future. It's a tough time for city government, but that's true everywhere. But he likes the city's capacity to move forward.

He sure doesn't sound like a man who can't wait to put Greensboro in his rearview mirror ... although he's clearly looking forward to an outstanding opportunity in Alexandria.

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The following are some other bits and pieces of interest:

Wayne Abraham introduced the idea of "participatory budgeting" by neighborhood, which would give residents more of a voice in deciding how city funds should be spent in their areas of the city.

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Vaughan doesn't think the city's redesigned website is so hot.

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Regarding solid waste, Chris Lawyer said recycling must be a priority. "If we don't reduce our footprint, we're making the problem worse."

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The question was whether the candidate would let the manager and staff make a recommendation about how to handle solid waste.

"Yes," said Thompson.

"I'm happy to hear that answer because that didn't happen this time," Vaughan said, figuratively employing that kitchen knife.

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Vaughan again, this time on the council's partisan divisions: "We don't want to become like Congress, do we? And I'm afraid that's the direction we're going."

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On RUCO, Abuzuaiter suggested that police officers -- the "eyes on the street" -- could report problem properties.

"I'm not sure I'd have our police department running our RUCO program," Thompson said.

Lawyer said that in just driving all over the city, "I've seen housing none of us would want to live in." Inspectors ought to be able to see that, too.

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Asked to grade the council's performance, Thompson gave it a B on the strength of "an incredibly fiscally conservative budget." It funded "all vital services," he said, and did not lay off or furlough any employees.

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Thompson, apparently not feeling well, left the forum during a break about halfway through.

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Asked about conflicts of interest, Vaughan said she was "glad to address" the issue.

She had two conflicts regarding zoning cases in which her attorney husband Don represented neighborhoods. He will no longer take such cases while she is on the council, she said. "That's bad for the neighborhoods, but that's the deal we have struck." He will continue to represent Waste Industries and Cone Mills -- both factors that came into play on landfill-related matters.

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On library funding and building the delayed Lake Jeanette branch, Johnson said she wants the county to pay its share of costs for operations.

Lawyer, who lives in the Lake Jeanette area, said the branch should remain on hold until finances improve. "We have to make sure we're not overextending ourselves," he said.

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Asked to name a program or service she would cut, Abuzuaiter said loose-leaf collection. She's seen mountains of leaves at the landfill, calling the collection a "big waste of money." Leaves piled at the curbs end up in the storm drains and cause additional problems. People ought to compost their leaves, she suggested.

Vaughan agreed ... "but you can't imagine the number of emails we got when that was on the table." She mentioned that people in her neighborhood dump leaves in the street, which then get washed into the sewer system or detention ponds. "I want to call and report them but I won't because I want their votes," she said.

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Asked if they'll stay involved in the community if they lose on Nov. 8 ...

Vaughan: Yes, noting her present volunteer activities, including homeless outreach and adult literacy. "If I don't win, it won't be my defining moment."

Lawyer: Yes, he wants to be a voice especially for young professionals. "I'll still be a voice somewhere."

Johnson: "I want to be elected, but thank God Ihave a life ... but I'm going to work in the community until I die."

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So, who won?

The Cardinals, in 11.