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A News & Record editorial

District 4 voters won't be the only ones to benefit if they re-elect Mike Barber to the Greensboro City Council. So will the rest of Greensboro.

In his first term on the council, Barber has been a valuable addition. The affable attorney has been guided by a long-term positive vision for the city as well as by a concern for improving its day-to-day operations. Most important, he has not been afraid to question the status quo.

Barber is a promoter of Greensboro but not a shallow one. He is not afraid to point out what he sees as the city's weaknesses — too little annexation, too much red tape for small business owners. And his years spent on the Guilford County Board of Commissioners appear to have helped him feel comfortable moving beyond long-set boundaries. For example, he likes the idea of merging some city/county functions to save money, even though that might upset some bureaucrats' apple carts.

Barber's candor has been especially appreciated regarding the police department controversy. He supports full disclosure, within what the law allows, of documents and other material related to it as soon as possible.

David Crawford, Barber's challenger, is a computer store owner. While he seems to have good intentions, he does not appear to be motivated by the issues facing the City Council. Indeed, he readily admits that his main political interest is in running for Congress and that he sees the District 4 race as providing him needed public exposure.

In contrast, Barber seems quite concerned with the city's issues — and of not being afraid to suggest innovative ways to address them. Most recently this has been seen in his suggestion for how to find the money for putting more police officers on the street: He has suggested closing the city's police academy and recruiting officers trained through the community college system.

Mike Barber has shown through his public service that he cares about Greensboro. He deserves another term representing District 4 on the City Council.