It’s a sign of the times that the Greensboro City Council could vote to put $135 million in bonds on the ballot without discussion.
But at the Tuesday, April 19 meeting that is what happened. After reading the agenda item, Mayor Nancy Vaughan noted that this was simply an update to reflect the new date for the referendum.
Of course, the City Council voted on March 15 to take the $135 million in bonds off the ballot without much discussion, so not discussing putting them back on the ballot seemed fitting.
The City Council agreed to place a referendum for $135 million in bonds on the ballot at the same time as the 2021 City Council general election in August 2021.
All of the changes since then have been the result of the City Council trying to hit a moving target, that target being the date of the City Council general election.
When the City Council passed the resolution setting the date for the bond referendum, the City Council general election was scheduled to be held either on April 26 or May 17. But the NC Supreme Court postponed the primary from March 8 to May 17, with the City Council general election as the date of the runoff primary, either July 5 or July 26. Evidently someone in Raleigh realized that holding runoff primaries and municipal general elections on July 5 would result in embarrassingly low voter turnout and the date was set for July 26.
What the City Council did last week was finally set the date for the bond referendum for July 26.
The resolution placed four bonds on the ballot and voters will be able to vote “Yes” or “No” on each bond.
The breakdown of the $135 million bond package is: $30 million in Housing Bonds, $70 million in Parks and Recreation Bonds, $14 million in Firefighting Facilities Bonds, $6 million in Law Enforcement Facility Bonds and $15 million in Transportation Bonds.
Greensboro voters traditionally pass Parks and Recreation Bonds. However, this bond is somewhat different in that the City Council has said that $50 million of the $70 million bond is to be spent on combining the Windsor Recreation Center and the Vance-Chavis Library into one facility.
And yet they haven’t spent the money from previous bonds, they haven’t figured out how to spend the millions of Covid they received from the federal government. They’ve watched people lose their jobs and homes to Covid. And they want more. And the County Commissioners want billions. We, the little people have suffered for two years with impacts of Covid. Our grocery bills are at least 1/3 more than before Covid. Many of us lost our jobs. Most of us have trouble paying off our credit cards because at the beginning and height of Covid only cards were accepted for payment. So most of us have more credit card debt than ever before. And yet, no wage increases and for many, no going back to their jobs. And the City and the County want more. You would think common sense would rule. This has been the most difficult two years for everyone nationwide. If Council and the Commissioners want more money, they should take a serious look at their checkbooks. Look at existing spending. Spend the millions just sitting their and give your citizens a break. We’ve suffered for two years, well 4 years with this Council. You obviously do not care about the high percentage of your constituents who are already struggling. Get real!!
$135 million bond package
$70 million in Parks and Recreation
$30 million in Housing
$15 million in Transportation
$14 million in Firefighting Facilities
$6 million in Law Enforcement Facility
Note which area of government is at the top? Yes, not water/sewer, not repaving all the pot-holed streets, and not police cars taken home by officers. I realize the take home cars is not a bond issue, but it tells you what this Council wants to do with my taxes, and yours.
To the city council . . . .please spend money on repaving roads in a bond package, versus constantly filling in pot-holes all over the city.
And remember this, last year the City provided a means in which citizens could vote on-line on what percentage should go to these various projects. Do you think it mattered what we thoughtt? Of course not! They knew all along where they were going to spend the taxes. So much for “inclusion” by this council.
Everyone . . .please vote these jokers out of office.
No to everything but firefighters and police and especially no to any liberal woke democrat on the council and any on the county commissioners board