news-record.com

Melvin "Skip" Alston admitted he was skeptical about the question-and-answer format of this year's State of Our Community event Wednesday.

He quickly warmed up and, by the time the program concluded, suggested the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce not only repeat the approach but do it monthly instead of annually.

That's not likely, but Alston ought to convene his own forum and invite community leaders. Lots of them.

Alston, chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, was joined by Greensboro Mayor Yvonne Johnson and Guilford County Board of Education Chairman Alan Duncan in addressing community issues. Unfortunately, the set-up didn't encourage discussion among the panelists, although all three stressed the importance of collaboration and communication.

A long journey together

Duncan quoted what he said was a Kenyan proverb: For a short trip, go alone; for a long journey, go together.

Building a stronger community is a long journey. Guilford County Schools has partnerships with every institution of higher learning in Guilford County, Duncan said. It calls on support from foundations, corporations, small businesses and parents. Even its $650 million budget comes from three levels of government, requiring good relations all around -- but especially with the local funding agent, Guilford County.

Alston, despite holding tight purse strings in this year of economic challenge, said Wednesday that if the county comes by additional revenues, the schools will deserve some of it.

"I know the schools need more funding," he noted. "They're doing a whole lot more with less. They need all the funds they can get."

Duncan acknowledged that flat operational funding from commissioners this year was expected, but he complained about a cut for maintenance. That was a point of contention and lack of trust between commissioners and the school board this spring. Strides may have been made lately with an agreement to use federal no-interest bonds to pay for school repairs, but relations never have been as positive as they should be.

Check egos at the door

It would have been good to hear Alston and Duncan explore ideas for improvement, with consensus-builder Johnson, sitting between them, employing her mediation skills.

Alston made a pitch for "checking egos at the door," ending turf battles and finding common ground among representatives of various local governing boards. Governments can work more effectively if they stop duplicating services, he said.

That should be an urgent priority. Both Guilford County and Greensboro squeezed their budgets to avoid tax increases this year, while generally preserving service levels, but repeating that achievement next year may be even more difficult.

It's time to look harder for savings through cross-governmental collaboration. Planning, purchasing, economic development and public safety are some areas where combining resources could result in greater efficiencies without any decline in quality of service.

Guilford County unity

Think of Guilford County as a unit with common interests, Alston said, not as a collection of towns and cities.

That's a good point. The entire region, not just Guilford County, has many assets in common. They include the airport, transportation network, colleges and universities, key industries, outstanding health care providers, sports and entertainment events and venues, and more.

Alston should use his position to convene more State of Our Community programs but make sure they include the leaders of all those organizations and local governments, as well as the area's representatives in Raleigh and Washington. "Our Community" is much larger than Greensboro and Guilford County. It can be a more vibrant and prosperous community if governments provide services more effectively and seamlessly across political boundaries and if other assets are leveraged for mutual advantage and support.

The public must be included

The people also have to be treated as full participants, but too often they're kept in the dark. Commissioners abruptly replaced a county manager, and Greensboro's City Council is about to hire Rashad Young from Dayton, Ohio, as city manager, without meaningful public input. Elected officials have to collaborate with the people they represent. The school board offers a better example of keeping constituents informed and involved.

Still, local leaders have done some things well even in tough times. They can do more if they remember Duncan's proverb about long journeys.