Guilford County Manager Mike Halford wanted to play a game called “Green Dot, Yellow Dot” with the Guilford County commissioners.
However, the commissioners told the manager they didn’t want to play. So Halford had to take his collection of green dot stickers and yellow dot stickers and go home.
Hopefully, he’ll be able to use them if someone in his family has an art project or something.
Halford brought the circular green and yellow stickers to a Thursday, Feb. 23 work session of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, which was being held to discuss budget priorities.
Halford also brought a big list of possible priorities for the commissioners to weigh in on during the game – which never got played, but apparently consisted of the following: Commissioners would each get some green dots and yellow dots and then place them on a list of potential county priorities for the coming budget, with the green ones on the most important items for each commissioner.
That way Halford and his staff would get to see the commissioners’ collective priorities.
Several commissioners pointed out that they had already done something similar by email.
Almost all the commissioners in the room voiced one type of objection or another.
Commissioner Frankie Jones, for instance, pointed out that the nine commissioners all had a different concept of “priority.”
“We’re working with nine different definitions of what it means to be a priority and I think before we do anything we have to get a line on that,” Jones said.
Another objection was that the commissioners needed more input from department directors before determining priorities for the fiscal 2023-2024 budget.
Commissioner Carlvena Foster had other objections as well.
“This exercise with the dots was not going to be effective like it was in the beginning, because right now it seems just a little – I hate to say elementary – but it is elementary and redundant,” she said.
Commissioner Pat Tillman said he needed “a little more direction” on things like where the county’s focus would have the most effect if the commissioners chose that item as a priority.
Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston told his fellow commissioners that the manager certainly does need some direction on the upcoming budget, but he told Halford that clearly his Green Dot, Yellow Dot exercise wasn’t going to happen on that day.
At least they didn’t draw pictures.
Dots for tots.
A simplistic approach although elementary.. works.
This analytical process would have solved some challenges. By making light of a process and refusing, simply exposes the lack of understanding regarding which projects are most important over others.
Reality is, you can not move forward in any fashion until the entire board is able to prioritize. Literally, everyone gave zero input to help the process. Belittled Halford and passed their responsibility back on him.
Although some may jest about the dots, the data would have helped immensely.
It’s past time for this board to go. The community does not need seat warmers but decisions makers. We do not need ambitious people but humility. We do not need arrogance but understanding.
It is never wise to make fun of someone with good intentions and ideas.
Sounds like the Dick and Jane book I learned to read in the first grade , run Spot run, see Spot run. LOL
Halford’s “dot game” as you called it would require the commissioners to stake themselves out and not give them the cover of being just one of the one’s who supported a particular project. It allows them to say I voted for that budget item, instead of saying I voted for that item as my number one priority. Saying something is a priority could cost them votes, but saying you were one of the one’s who voted for something gives them cover. Nice try Mike, but remember you’re dealing with a herd who want to operate in a group mentality. While your effort would make your job easier and more efficient, theirs would be more transparent, we can’t have that.
Exactly!
He have just borrowed Trumps sharpy. It solves all problems.
The country messed up when they ignored Ross Perot. Every word the man said about NAFTA has come true. The world needs more people with homemade flip charts, sharpies, common sense, and a vision. Halford is trying to get valid input, these 9 clowns would rather play politics. Maybe he should give them helmets & crayons next time. Their actions speak loudly. This is a clear indication to county staff that their efforts do not matter to the board. Bring back Billy Yow!
Lori Lightfoot just lost her re-election bid I Chicago a troubled democrat run city get ready skip karma is coming and it’s going to be a bitch of a bite in your arse.