The Greensboro City Council was completely blindsided by the bill that passed the state House to create a civil services review board for the city.
At the work session on Thursday, April 27, one councilmember after another said that they had no idea that House Bill 470 was coming up for a vote on Wednesday, April 26.
The bill creates boards for Greensboro and Winston-Salem to adjudicate complaints from employees about being demoted, having their salary decreased or being terminated,
Despite the fact that the Greensboro City Council was in the dark about the process, the bill was passed by both the Local Government and Rules Committees and then by the House.
For the first time ever, Greensboro has an intergovernmental relations manager, LaToya Caesar-Crawford. Part of Caesar-Crawford’s responsibilities is to keep the City Council informed about legislation in Raleigh that affects Greensboro. Since House Bill 470 amends the charter of the City of Greensboro, it will have a major impact on the city and the majority of members of the City Council are vehemently opposed to the bill.
Caesar-Crawford was never asked at the work session why councilmembers were not informed about the progress of this bill, but she volunteered that she only found out that it would be heard by the committees five or 10 minutes before the meeting started.
The City of Winston-Salem, however, knew that the bill would be considered and had a contingent on hand to speak in opposition to the bill.
Greensboro Police Chief John Thompson and Fire Chief Jim Robinson also knew about the committee hearings and spoke at the Local Government Committee hearing.
Councilmember Marikay Abuzuaiter said, “It was very late Tuesday evening when I found out the bill was coming up and I wrote the whole delegation.”
She said, “Apparently we had plenty of time for public input, but we had no idea that it was being calendared so quickly and that it was going to be pushed through. It has been stated that Greensboro has not been there to support or oppose the bill.”
She said, “It kept being mentioned that we must not be opposed to it since we weren’t there.”
Councilmember Sharon Hightower said, “I’m in total opposition to this bill.”
Hightower said that the City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 2, the City Council should pass a resolution in opposition to the bill and send it to Raleigh.
Councilmember Zack Matheny said, “I do not recommend that action. I understand the passion behind it, but if you’re talking about strategy and how to formulate the bill should it continue to go through, that’s probably the worst strategy we could use.”
Matheny added, “You think a resolution from us is going to change anything? No. In 20 years of doing this I can tell you sending a letter has never worked.”
Both Councilmembers Hugh Holston and Nancy Hoffmann agreed that the City Council should pass a resolution in opposition to the bill.
The City Council discussed the fact that House Bill 470 would not come before the state Senate before May 4. However, on Thursday, April 27, the same day as the work session, House Bill 470 passed the first reading in the Senate and was referred to the Senate Rules Committee.
Ha Ha ha. Why are all these liberals opposed to a process that protects employees? Why don’t they answer that question.
Well what does one expect from liberals in charge? I mean really look at how they run down city after city in this country. Sadly there are some very misinformed voters who continue to vote them in to office because they have been taught nothing but hate. If they elected people on qualifications none of them would be on that council. So very happy I do not live in one of those cities now.
I think they most fear that their hiring, promotion, discipline, and termination processes favor one demographic. Plus they won’t have total control of the board like every other board and commission that is a joke. I have not laughed so hard in weeks. They have a nicely paid employee whose only job is to watch legislation. They as council members should also be watching legislation at the state level. HAHAHAHA
Man that really makes me have confidence in our City Council. Wake up people. Just think how many other times they had no idea of what is going on and missed opportunities that may have helped the people of Greensboro, and not just their favorite few!!!
Lots of Ha Ha Ha’s to the “woke” liberal democrats on the council. Serves you right.
And just what is the background of the intergovernmental relations manager, LaToya Caesar-Crawford? It would appear she has no experience in relationships with the state house and senate, and maybe not much government experience at all. Just what were her quaiilfications for the position she was hired? My guess nothing will happen to her, and if so, she’ll be kept on the payroll doing some other job role, and if so, hope it will not involve public relations.
Her qualifications were the main two needed
She’s black and a woman. End of story
She not be keepin’ up wif current events!
“What we have here is a failure to communicate’.
Ms. Caesar-Crawford is guilty of dereliction of duty. Why are we paying her if she’s not doing her job?
She’s token,pretty lazy or pretty stupid
I recall, it seems, that LaToya Caesar-Crawford was hired by the city manager for a position created out of thin air for the purpose of giving Ms. Crawford a job and a title that he thinks sounds impressive. It should be obvious that Ms. Crawford is not up to the task and her position is a waste of taxpayer money. Eliminate the position immediately. Send Ms. Crawford packing along with the city manager. When will it be realized that a person’s skin color is not a trait that determines success. Creating a job out of whole cloth is a waste of taxpayer money and is generally unmerited.
The city council members do not like to be second-guessed but they do it routinely. Yet those same members support EEOC and firings involving “perceived” racial bias. This bill goes beyond racial discrimination claims. This is why Hightower does not support it. According to Hightower, everything is about race. This bill should be supported.
Dumb and dumber!
Intergovernmental relations manager….lol, another SNAFU, one of many. You got what you voted for…enjoy the muckups!
Another MWBE hire paying off big time: LaToya Caesar-Crawford. Part of Caesar-Crawford’s responsibilities is to keep the City Council informed about legislation in Raleigh that affects Greensboro. Where were that high-paid city manager and his army of assistants ??
Paying someone to be your eyes and ears in Raleigh. And then they are sleeping at the switch. Whopper, just another blunder create and carried out by the wonderful city council group.
Folks in Greensboro,when do you learn:incompetent people breed incompetence whatever and wherever they go.
Why don’t you consider 9 Republicans instead of these Democritus have elected to raise taxes year by year. I forgot as a group Greensboro enjoys paying exhoribant taxes on everything from water to cars to real estate.
Maybe they will discover how they grossly underpay Essential City Employees and extremely overpay the Top City Executives. Maybe they will review how biweekly pay reduces paychecks by 8 percent. Maybe they will finally award hazard pay to all those dedicated employees who worked out of their home during the “pandemic”.
And they sit on your money. That’s why they went to biweekly.
Sounds like City Council is reaping some of what they have sown.
LaToya needs to be fired immediately!
I’m not sure which is more hilarious?
The fact that Hightower got knocked off her high horse, the entire council of incompetent liberal wankers were caught off guard, the fact that the State thinks they need review board, or that the City’s token director can’t find her way out of a wet paper bag. It’s time to pop some corn & watch the libtard finger pointing, wagging & chicken necking begin. This might actually be entertaining for a while…
The good news is that LaToya Caesar-Crawford can utilize that review board to appeal her upcoming termination. You had ONE JOB, girl, and now you done messed up!
What termination, she won’t be fired she’s too close of a friend to the city manager also don’t forget the most important part she’s black and a female
Send in the clowns….everyone is staring……
If Allen Funt, Rod Serling and Alfred Hitchcock all worked together they couldn’t come up with anything more strange than this mess. This is a liberal poo slinging machine. A whirling dervish, a spinning turd, an overflowing cesspool of government efficiency, a real fecal fiasco. It woukd take most of us a week to scrape this off our boots. Watch, they’ll give the token a raise.