New City Council squabbles over seating arrangements : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis

GREENSBORO — Campaign season promises of a harmonious City Council were short-lived.

It didn’t even last long enough for them to be sworn into office.

Squabble No. 1: the seating arrangement.

Mayor-elect Robbie Perkins rearranged some of the senior council members’ seats, including Councilwoman Trudy Wade’s.

She said he singled her out and he is making it a racial issue. He said she doesn’t want to work together.

Other members hope the fight isn’t a sign of things to come.

“This is not worth a battle, and we shouldn’t start off that way,” Councilman Zack Matheny said.

In the past, seats have been based on seniority. Other years, the mayor chose where council members would sit. They haven’t always liked it.

Two years ago, the council reshuffled Mayor Bill Knight’s seating arrangement.

Council members claim it doesn’t matter where they sit, but there are things to consider.

Just like kids at the lunch table, council members like to sit with their friends. And certain seats get more television air time or have the appearance of more import, such as the positions next to the mayor.

When he designed his seating chart, Perkins said he put incoming Mayor Pro Tem Yvonne Johnson to the right of the mayor’s seat, as is custom. But that put all three African American council members on the same side of the dais — an image of division he didn’t like.

He also moved Wade over one seat to the right side of the board. The arrangement didn’t sit well with Wade, who had asked to remain in her same seat.

She said she felt targeted as a white, conservative female and didn’t think council seating should be made based on race.

“That to me is not a mayor that is trying to work together. That is a mayor that is playing the race card,” she said.

She said she told him, “If you aren’t going to work with me, go ahead and move me to the end and ignore me.”

So he did.

“I will take eight folks working together if I can’t get nine. It seems like we’ve got eight people who want to work very hard. If Dr. Wade doesn’t want to work with us, that is her choice,” Perkins said.

Other council members brushed off the spat as much ado about nothing. But they will have to deal with it when the new council meets Tuesday.

“I am going to sit in my seat until they vote to move me,” Wade said.

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

TravKM

December 1, 2011 - 4:28 am EST

Bellamy-Small threw a fit a few years back about assignment of cubicles that no one uses. Now this... Next thing you know, Wade will want another 1 to 1 1/2 year recount. Good grief, Charlie Brown!

oh good grief

December 1, 2011 - 9:27 am EST

Oh my goodness, you're missing the big picture here folks -- sounds like Robbie's "new" seating plan won't have him sitting next to Diane Bellamy-Small.

I thought all along that was a "marriage of convenience," but perhaps with more people Robbie "wants" to play with available, he has finally freed himself (to a certain extent) of the heavy presence of Diane Bellamy-Small. I always wondered what Diane Bellamy-Small was constantly playing with during council meetings. It looked like a cell phone so maybe she WAS Robbie's designated "call Roy Carroll and my other cronies and give 'em a heads up" gal.

ustaxpayer

December 1, 2011 - 2:09 pm EST

This is exactly why I tell people that Greensboro is just a little "any how" town that has no direction. I am ashamed for them....Perkins is a weiner for making such a to do about the seating arrangement...Just let the people sit where they want to. OR are they not mature enough? HHMMmmmm

walker

December 1, 2011 - 5:12 am EST

Please.....just grow up....all of you.

Interested

December 1, 2011 - 8:41 am EST

Seriously. It is just a chair. Seating position has no impact on the value of a vote. Do what you were elected to do people - LEAD!

And to the paper: perhaps if you stopped reporting on these childish playground squabbles elected leaders would get the message and let such insignificant matters roll off their back.

dandyseniors

December 1, 2011 - 9:41 am EST

AGREE!

rooster8786

December 1, 2011 - 10:01 am EST

YEAH, as if that would ever happen...

Amanda Lehmert

December 5, 2011 - 1:10 am EST

Doubtful. Two years ago, when the same kind of problems occurred, I didn't write about it. Still came up this year.

sanders

December 1, 2011 - 5:21 am EST

put your duke education to work and be an effective leader robbie.make a positive impact.

GsoFan

December 1, 2011 - 5:25 am EST

Trudy Wade needs to grow up and learn some manners. For the last two years she and her "team" refused to compromise on anything. You would have thought with all her friends being voted out of office she might have learned something. This is the same woman who for 16 months kept John Parks from taking his duly elected seat because she was a sore loser. Show some class and move over!

terrier2003

December 1, 2011 - 12:08 pm EST

Well, Trudy Wade hasn't changed a bit in all the years on the council. And that being said, she gets voted back in by a HUGE margin every year. She is there to represent her constituents and They apparently think she does a good job. Robbie is looking to Marginalize her as she is really the only real conservative on that council.

I can't blame the guy for doing it. If he can manage to get her on the outside, physically and theoretically, he will have an easier time with the council. She will lose her voice screaming from the end about the future increase in taxes and water rates...eventually she won't be able to speak.

Traveler

December 1, 2011 - 1:49 pm EST

What Trudy brings to the table is the ability and desire to read and understand a balance sheet and financial data. She has always asked questions about where the tax money goes. She has caught our employees, the city staff, in error and omission after error and omission.

The rest of the crowd seems to believe whatever our employees, the city staff, tells them. Again, the staff has a history of presenting financials the way the staff wants them presented, with lots of omissions.

Remember the famous words from Bellamy-Small a few years ago "The people in my district don't pay taxes", or words very close to that.

The truth is that most voters in Greensboro do not pay property taxes, the main source of city revenue. Most voters in Greensboro do not pay for their water. The majority of voters in Greensboro are renters and students.

I for one appreciate Trudy, and hope she will be able to ask the questions and get answers from our employees, the city staff. I remember, not that long ago, that Mitch Johnson delayed and refused to provide answers to where and how tax dollars were being spent.

I seriously doubt that the Perketts care about managing Greensboro's tax dollars. It will be interesting to see what type of new spending they pass and what type of accountability they demand (or don't) from our employees, the city staff.

multigrain

December 1, 2011 - 4:44 pm EST

Well said.

b-logical

December 1, 2011 - 5:33 am EST

I personally want the Mayor and the Council to understand that the entire city is watching, listening and evaluating their every move. The motivation behind the re-assignment of seats is calculative, childish and obvious. Ms. Wade's reaction was predicted and expected. This fact that this newspaper reported it proves that they are only trying to sell papers. We get that - we really do.
But you have to understand that this city is depending on what you can get done together. You are wasting valuable time with these personal issues. We expect you to run this council like a business - team work, COMMON SENSE, effort and results are what we need.

Ronnie1964

Two years ago Wade was on the winning end of this vote, this time she's not. That's politics. Get over it and move on. Greensboro has real issues put your ego aside and learn "how to play well with others."

GboroMan

December 1, 2011 - 7:04 am EST

Wade needs to quit acting like a spoiled child and keep the city's interests foremost in mind. If only there had been a real candidate running against her . . . .

skinsfan

December 1, 2011 - 11:17 am EST

Yes, absolutely!

December 1, 2011 - 12:10 pm EST

And if there were a candadate running against her that wasn't a gang leader and convicted felon, she still would have won. And remember, she is there to fight for her district. not the entire city. And her district apparently approves of her by a very large margin when you look at the votes.

December 1, 2011 - 7:31 am EST

Perkins is playing the race card.

This is political correctness running amok. Historically seat selection was based on seniority and now seat selection is going to be based on race.

tobi

December 1, 2011 - 8:42 am EST

In this case he kind of has to play the race card. If not, the rest of the city will. It's sad to say it, but race is still a very big issue in our society. People will jump all over the issue of racially divided seating arrangement. For Wade to be upset about this is really childish

December 1, 2011 - 12:14 pm EST

I agree that this may seem childish and insignificant. However it may be setting the tone for the way the council will be run. . . Wade is grossly outnumbered on that board. Methany is as much a republican as Perkins is, which is to say a RINO. It is a super majority democrat council now. Let her complain, because it is all she will be able to do. In the end, majority will rule and there is no doubt what that will look like.

Panacea

December 1, 2011 - 8:48 am EST

Perkin's concern that splitting seating by race is well founded. It doesn't look good.

It will not hurt Wade to move over one seat, and she should have kept her mouth SHUT.

Perkins called her bluff. Good for him!

December 1, 2011 - 12:11 pm EST

What Bluff?

December 2, 2011 - 9:21 am EST

She didn't really think Perkins would move her to the end. She figured he'd cave and let her sit where she wants.

gsonc214

December 1, 2011 - 12:59 pm EST

While I agree with the pettiness of all of this from both Wade and Perkins...would the dais not have been balanced just as well by moving one of the others into Rakestraws old seat instead of moving Wade down? Or might it have just been done to push her button knowing she would respond?

EllieP

December 1, 2011 - 3:13 pm EST

Yes, it would've.

Red9skins

December 1, 2011 - 7:35 am EST

Greensboro, congratulations! This is your train wreck due to poor choices at the voting booth. As someone not living in Greensboro, I am going to thoroughly enjoy this fiasco of a council.

akristel

December 1, 2011 - 11:13 am EST

Yeah! I agree, Red9skins (warg much?)

If Greensboro had FINALLY gotten rid of Trudy Wade, we wouldn't be in this awkward, but entirely unimportant position now.

December 1, 2011 - 11:22 am EST

Amen...if only she had a viable opponent to run against her! How trivial can you get?

December 1, 2011 - 12:16 pm EST

A completely democrat council? Have you lost your mind? do you know what your taxes and water rates will eventually be? or the bonds that you will end up paying for down the road? Perkins is probably the most crooked one on that board. You don't think he is going to be playing to his buddies? Or are you under the impression he ran for Mayor because he truely cares about the city more than his wallet?

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