Shuffling the council deck
This week's column.
Depending on the day of the week -- and the hour of the day -- Keith Holliday is running for re-election as mayor. Or not.
Holliday, the four-term incumbent, has not made up his mind on his political future. He was supposed to decide by March 15. Now he says he'll need until the end of the month.
"I can list 10 reasons why I shouldn't run for re-election on one page," he says. "But I can turn around and list 10 reasons I should run on another page."
If Holliday chooses not to seek another term, he'll be more sorely missed than you might expect. One of His Honor's most valuable gifts is his affable manner and his tendency to try, almost to a fault, to seek compromise and build consensus. What he may lack in charisma he makes up for in his earnestness, his endless patience and his relentlessly sunny disposition. He's a calming influence.
That trait has come in handy during an unusually tumultuous stretch at City Hall. From the silly drama over polygraph tests to the ongoing turmoil in the police department to the Truth and Reconciliation non-discussions, the council has staggered from one political briar patch into another.
It gets harder. There's still a new police chief to hire and stability and confidence to restore in the police department. There's still the challenge of competing for more jobs and more industry and sustaining the momentum from recent victories such as HondaJet. There are the results of the latest social capital survey in Greensboro, which finds disconcerting levels of distrust in both the police and local government. Then there's a pair of dueling divas on the council in Florence Gatten and Dianne Bellamy-Small.
Skip and Billy who?
Against that daunting backdrop, the next council may look markedly different from the one you see today.
For instance, if a new mayor does take Holliday's seat, he could be a she. Yvonne Johnson, a veteran at-large councilwoman who has bided her time during Holliday's tenure, is expected to run for the top job. So might Gatten, who says she will announce her intentions in May.
Still another possible candidate is downtown builder and developer Milton Kern. Nicknamed "the mayor of South Elm Street," Kern may decide he wants to be mayor of the rest of the city as well.
"I've had a lot of people after me about it, but I don't know," he says of a mayoral bid. "I'm about 50-50."
Citing "a void in local leadership," Kern adds, "We need some races."
Meanwhile, longtime councilman Tom Phillips, who currently holds the District 3 seat, will neither confirm nor deny rumors that he won't run for re-election. "I'll make a statement at the appropriate time," he says.
He'll only say for certain that he won't run for mayor. "Part of me wants to," he says, "but it's not feasible from a business standpoint."
Elsewhere, District 5 Councilwoman Sandy Carmany could face a serious challenge from a former county commissioner, Trudy Wade. "I haven't made up my mind," Wade says, "but it's a strong possibility."
Wade says she already has spoken to Carmany about a run in her district. It's nothing personal, she says. Wade also says she likes the nonpartisan nature of the council.
Says Carmany of Wade: "I wish she wouldn't run but she certainly has that right. I'll run on my record."
Carmany is a good councilwoman who does her homework and takes principled stands. Wade was a good county commissioner who did her homework and took principled stands. This could be a rarity in most recent district races: a hotly contested campaign between two experienced, well-qualified candidates.
Of course, anything can happen between now and when the filing period opens in July. But however the chips fall, we'll need to elect the very best council members we can.
In a way, we are as accountable for their performance as they are. After all, we put them in office.
Phillips says he plans to address that very theme in an upcoming speech: "The people get the government they deserve."
Comments (5)
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I totally agree with Tom Phillips's statement that the people get the government they deserve. It's a shame, but it is true.
Where will Councilman Phillips speak on this topic. I would love to be there.
Posted on March 18, 2007 10:07 AM
Allen, I know you are a cinophile. You need to catch "Black Snake Moan" ASAP.
Let me tell all the parents out there in blog land, I have seen the future of rehabititation of lost, alienated white youth and it is: being chained to the radiator of delta blues singers, preferably Samuel L. Jackson should space be available. This could very well start a trend across the country.
I'm still trying to figure this movie out. One thing, it sure wasn't too kind to white men. Let's see; you're either an under-endowed abuser of children and women, or a neurotic army washout who melts down when passing tractor trailers on the highway-all the more reason to run out and get your kids chained to a radiator ASAP.
Then we get to the climatic scene-and it's Samuel L. up on stage, Gibson in hand, singing a blues song that is essentially a satiric summary of his dialogue from every other movie he's been in and don't get me wrong-I love Samuel L.. But is it redemptive singing about shooting somebody down?
The movie had it's good points. Hint: they are made out of denim-and they're short-real short. Maybe I'm expecting too much.
I'm also not sure what this has to do with the city council but there has to be a connection in there somewhere, doesn't there?
Posted on March 19, 2007 8:57 AM
Mayor H is 50-50 on something. Not exactly news. I'd be more surprised if he wasnt 50-50. Is it possible that anyone is even mildly startled that Mr Rogers is 50-50 on this decision. Has he ever been anything other than 50-50 on any subject? Oh yeah, one.... the swim center. Ooooh dont get me started!
But seriously, we could do worse. Far worse. I believe his tenure was OK but I also believe his 15 minutes to be up.
Posted on March 19, 2007 1:28 PM
That all depends, I guess, on who replaces him, Mick. Yvonne Johnson's track record on working with others is solid. Don't know about Milton Kern in the hot seat, but he is a very personable man one to one. Florence Gatten is smart but brusque and school marmish at times. For a political consultant she can display suspect people skills.
Posted on March 20, 2007 6:39 AM
Savage, thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out. It has to be better than "Snakes on a Plane."
Posted on March 20, 2007 6:41 AM