news-record.com

GREENSBORO — Residents on the west side of the city will get to choose between an incumbent and a first-time challenger in the Greensboro City Council election.

Early voting continues through Saturday, and Election Day is Tuesday. Here is what the District 5 candidates have planned if they are elected:

Arthur “Art” Boyett

Residence: 810-A Carriage Crossing Lane

Occupation: Retired college accounting professor, most recently at Guilford College

Education: Bachelor’s and master’s from University of Georgia; doctorate in accounting from Texas Tech University

How would you define your leadership style? “I believe that I am a consensus-builder. I try to work with all parties on an issue and find the common ground. I have used this method in many situations in university politics to get the entire group to move forward on issues, even though none got all that they desired.”

Boyett said he is all about open government and accountability.

That’s what he said he would bring if elected to represent District 5.

“The slogan I adopted was, 'Your voice on City Council,’ the voters’ voice on City Council,” Boyett, 67, said. “I want to live up to that. I’m not committed to any interest group.”

This is Boyett’s first run for elected office.

Boyett grew up in Georgia and worked for colleges and universities around the country before landing in Greensboro, where his daughter attended UNCG.

He formerly worked in public accounting and audited cities and counties.

Boyett said he has an analytical mind that will help get to the bottom of the city’s issues.

Starting with finances.

“The city of Greensboro can operate more efficiently. Every government can,” Boyett said.

One of his goals is to make sure the city runs effectively and the council works with new City Manager Rashad Young to make that happen.

“We need to sit down immediately with him when the new council goes in and set the goals for what he needs to be working on with him and set how we are going to evaluate him periodically,” Boyett said.

Boyett also wants to figure out how the city can help develop the local economy.

“We need to set specific goals about what type of businesses are we going to encourage to come here,” Boyett said.

Trudy Wade (i)

Residence: 1 Creswell Court

Occupation: Veterinarian, owner of Jamestown Veterinary Hospital

Education: Graduate, Greensboro College and Tuskegee Institute

How would you define your leadership style? “I am a no-nonsense, flexible, servant leader.”

Since being elected to City Council in 2007 , Wade said, she has focused on meeting the everyday needs of residents in her district.

The one-term council member and former Guilford County commissioner said she spends several hours every day making phone calls to constituents. Everyday things, like getting streetlights turned on and speed limits changed, are important, she said.

Wade, 58, said the key to getting issues resolved is having the at-large council members and the mayor involved with the issues, so they will back her and help her come to a quick resolution.

Coalition-building is something she said she has learned in her first term.

Wade has gotten her fellow council members on board with a plan to host a summit to help open the lines of communication with small businesses in the city.

That will give the city and its economic development agencies a “feel for what companies we have here and what will complement those,” she said.

Wade was one of three council members who consistently pushed to have former City Manager Mitchell Johnson removed. Now that the council has hired Young to replace him, she would like to see the new city manager focus on resolving issues in the police department.

In her first term, Wade also was an advocate for flat taxes and water fees. She said she would like to continue that policy if re-elected.

In the next two years, Wade would like the city to create a long-term plan for dealing with wastewater and water needs.

Wade said she also would advocate that the city do an efficiency study to see how departments can work better.

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