news-record.com

Two dozen Greensboro residents, so far, didn't wait for a public campaign-finance option to run for City Council seats this year. Good thing, because it doesn't look like it's happening.

And maybe it doesn't need to happen if so many motivated citizens are willing to raise their own campaign funds.

The N.C. House narrowly approved a bill in April that would allow cities of more than 50,000 to implement a public-finance system for municipal elections. It's stalled in the Senate, having been tabled once, then placed on the calendar and withdrawn four times in May and June.

The measure probably doesn't have enough support to pass. If it did, debate would move to the cities themselves.

The proposal would gain some support in Greensboro among people who rightly worry about the influence of money in campaigns and who see a pattern of well-funded local candidates dominating city elections. Public funding would level the playing field, they contend.

Only part of the playing field, however. Some candidates are simply more popular than others, and that can translate to more campaign donations.

Candidates can overcome funding disadvantages through hard work and ingenuity, however. They can campaign door-to-door, attend forums and other community events, use the Internet effectively, and recruit armies of volunteers to work for them.

The arguments against public financing are strong. Many taxpayers ask why they should have to support candidates they don't like or, depending on what districts they live in, can't even vote for. And then there's the question of where the money comes from in times of budget cuts even for critical municipal programs like public safety and street repair.

That's a debate for another day in Greensboro. For now, competitive City Council races are under way without public financing.