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GREENSBORO — The slogans have been coined. The fliers and signs are at the ready.

It’s that time again: Greensboro election season.

But before filing begins for incumbents and for hopefuls on Monday, let’s review what the current City Council has accomplished since taking office in December 2007.

Major decisions, themes

FLAT TAXES: The tax rate has not gone up — despite contrary recommendations of city staff — since this council took office.

Council fiscal conservatives such as Trudy Wade and Mary Rakestraw pushed early for no new taxes. The full council got on board as the economy tanked.

INTENSE TURMOIL: City Council members have been split over philosophical differences since they took office. And sometimes the divide expresses itself in tense spats, lengthy meetings and unending arguments.

All the debate is welcome for some residents, who didn’t always appreciate previous council members’ desire to keep their disagreements behind the scenes. Others observers have bristled at what they consider a lack of decorum.

'STATEMENT OF REGRET’: Council approved a public “statement of regret” for the 1979 shootings at the Morningside Homes housing complex.

Council members in May made a split vote to say they regretted the shooting — years after the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission asked the city to issue an apology.

“The vote on the Truth and Reconciliation apology was very telling of this council,” said Cyndy Hayworth, president of Junior Achievement and a former council candidate.

“There are some that want to live in the past and there are some that want to move forward. That is somewhat indicative of the way they voted.”

Council members voting for the statement: T. Dianne Bellamy-Small, Sandra Anderson Groat, Mayor Yvonne Johnson, Robbie Perkins and Goldie Wells.

Council members voting against the statement: Mike Barber, Zack Matheny, Mary Rakestraw and Trudy Wade.

CHANGE IN CITY ADMINISTRATION: Hounded by criticism over police department controversies, City Manager Mitchell Johnson was let go in March. Council members

Groat and Matheny cast crucial votes to make the change.

Voting to fire Johnson: Barber, Groat, Matheny, Rakestraw and Wade.

Voting against firing Johnson: Bellamy-Small, Yvonne Johnson, Perkins and Wells.

Council members could hire a new manager by August.

Issues unresolved

WHITE STREET LANDFILL CONTROVERSY: The city’s landfill, closed three years ago to household trash, has been the source of heated debates in the community and among council members in the past year.

Some question whether it should be reopened or the city should find a new way to dispose of trash.

“It just doesn’t seem like they have any kind of resolution on the issues,” said Jay Ovittore, a member of the city’s Human Relations Commission. “Make a decision one way or another and let these people go on with their lives.”

PUBLIC RECORDS POLICY: In August, the Greensboro Neighborhood Congress, a consortium of community groups, approached City Council with a proposed public records policy.

Council members, who occasional criticize the city staff of being slow to respond to citizen requests for information, have yet to review a new policy designed by Assistant City Manager Denise Turner.

“We are disappointed that it hasn’t been addressed yet,” said Donna Newton, a liaison for the congress.

“It appears that council isn’t as interested in it as we think they should be,” she said.

Attendance

Council members are busy folks. This attendance tally, for about 40 twice-monthly council meetings from December 2007 to May 2009, is based on city clerk meeting minutes and does not take into account occasions when members left early. For simplicity, there is no difference between excused or unexcused absences.

MIKE BARBER
Late: 1
Absent: 2 (one meeting attended via telephone)

T. DIANNE BELLAMY-SMALL
Late: 1
Absent: 0

SANDRA ANDERSON GROAT
Late: 1
Absent: 3 (one meeting attended via telephone)

YVONNE JOHNSON
Late: 0
Absent: 3 (one meeting attended via telephone)

ZACK MATHENY
Late: 2
Absent: 1

ROBBIE PERKINS
Late: 3
Absent: 4

MARY RAKESTRAW
Late: 0
Absent: 3

TRUDY WADE
Late: 0
Absent: 1

GOLDIE WELLS
Late: 1
Absent: 1
 

Contact Amanda Lehmert at 373-7075 or amanda.lehmert@news-record.com