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GREENSBORO — City employee strife, property-tax increases, the Urban Loop and other topics received attention in a forum for City Council candidates Tuesday at the Greensboro Historical Museum.

Candidates from council Districts 1, 3 and 4 answered questions, along with the city’s two mayoral candidates. Below are selected questions and answers, which have been edited for content and clarity.

The forum host, Guilford Unity Effort, will hold another forum for at-large candidates and District 2 and 5 candidates Sept. 22.

Mayor’s race

A moderator asked candidates the importance of the council’s image to city employees, given a recent lawsuit filed by the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. It alleges age discrimination by the city in hiring.

There also have been previous accusations of unfair treatment of employees in the police and other departments.

Yvonne Johnson: “We always have to project and really authentically believe that we have their best interest at heart,” she said, adding that fairness is important to display to all.

Bill Knight: “It’s kind of bad that we’ve come to this. The most outstanding question is the bad feelings, the ill feelings, the distrust that city employees had upward to council.”

District 1

If elected, what project would you want to complete by the end of your term?

T. Dianne Bellamy-Small: She spoke to a parity plan to get the city’s resources and development spread more equally, which she said could take years.

“I’m running again because I’ve got two more years to help (the plan), at least,” she said.

Charles Coffey: He wants improved infrastructure, more police presence and better aesthetics for the district.

“Let’s face it. The better something looks, the more apt (people) are to want to buy into it,” he said.

Luther Falls Jr.: Falls hopes to support small businesses in the district and work to see more city money spent in the district.
“Their tax dollars are the same tax dollars going on over to the budget,” he said, comparing residents to others in the city.

Ben Holder: “We don’t have the best, most free, transparent public record system,” he said. He would like to see more inspection records available online, and more public documents freely available.

Jeramy Reid: Reid wants more resources placed in District 1, particularly for infrastructure and city thoroughfares.
“Why can’t Lee Street be beautifully paved? And why can’t that be put in the first district?”

Daron Sellars: He hopes to get more people more active in the community.

“This room should be packed,” he said of the auditorium Tuesday, which was less than half full. “We’ve got to figure out how to get citizens more engaged.”

District 3

How should the city handle noise problems from the Urban Loop?

George Hartzman: “I believe the Urban Loop should be redesigned, relocated or transferred to somewhere else,” he said, adding that he believes that noise from tractor-trailers won’t be mitigated by a wall.

Zack Matheny: Did not attend.

Jay Ovittore: “We need to put up a barrier between the loop and the noise that is there,” he said, and then aimed at developers who built homes there. “The developers knew (the loop) was coming and put (houses) up anyway.”

District 4

Do you support a tax increase to improve public services?

Joel Landau: “We need to see what the needs of the city are,” he said, adding that he’s also used to searching for efficiency in his private business. On a tax, he said, “I go into it with an open mind.”

William “Mike” Martin: “We need to be looking at reducing taxes and we need to look at where waste is,” he said, adding that, according to his research, Greensboro has the highest tax rate among the ten largest cities in the state.

Joseph Rahenkamp: He does not support raising property taxes, and would like to lower them, comparing taxpayers to a fable.

“You kill the chicken that lays the golden eggs,” he said, “they quit laying golden eggs.”

Mary Rakestraw: Did not attend

Contact Gerald Witt at 373-7008 or gerald.witt@news-record.com