It’s amazing when you see a political ploy work.
Signs are popping up all over northwest Greensboro, like the one above, that indicate the Greensboro Science Center will receive money from the parks and recreation bond on the July 26 ballot.
Letters, comments and posts indicate that supporters of the Greensboro Science Center believe that the Greensboro Science Center will receive $20 million of the $70 million parks and recreation bond.
This is exactly what the Greensboro City Council planned. The City Council in its discussion of the proposed parks and recreation bonds mainly discussed the Vance Chavis-Windsor Recreation Center combined facility that at the time was estimated to cost $70 million, and according to City Council comments will receive $50 million of the $70 million in parks and recreation bonds.
District 1 City Councilmember Sharon Hightower argued for more of the $70 million in bonds be spent on the Vance Chavis-Windsor project in her district. However, the majority of the City Council agreed that some money had to allocated to a project that would ensure the support of the voters in northwest Greensboro.
It appeared at one meeting that the City Council had agreed on a $60 million for Vance Chavis-Windsor and $10 million for the Battleground Parks District. But the actual breakdown that was evidently agreed to by the majority was the $50 million for Vance Chavis-Windsor and $20 million for the Battleground Parks District including the immensely popular Greensboro Science Center. Somehow the $20 million in bond money morphed into $20 million for the Greensboro Science Center.
In reality, even the majority of the City Council saying that $20 million will go to the Greensboro Science Center has no more validity than an IOU.
But it appears the ploy is working. The signs in northwest Greensboro don’t mention that the bulk of the bonds is slated to go to one project on Gate City Boulevard and less than half as much to the Greensboro Science Center.
It also isn’t mentioned that even if the bonds pass, the Greensboro Science Center may not get a penny and, for that matter, the Vance Chavis-Windsor project may not get a penny either.
The City Council is under no obligation to spend the $70 million in bonds on any particular project. It could spend all $70 million on Vance Chavis-Windsor or could decide to spend all $70 million to build a massive new state-of-the-art parks and recreation administrative building, to build a new golf course, to put a dome over the Latham Park Tennis Courts, to build a hundred pickleball courts or any other parks and recreational facilities.
The City Council could even do what it has done with the $25 million in bonds passed in 2016, purportedly for downtown streetscapes, and not spend the money at all.
The only restrictions on how the $70 million can be spent are in the paragraph on the ballot that states:
“Shall the order adopted on August 31, 2021, authorizing $70,000,000 PARKS AND RECREATION BONDS of the City of Greensboro, North Carolina, plus interest, for the purpose of providing funds, together with any other available funds, for acquiring, constructing, improving and equipping various parks and recreational facilities for said City, including, without limitation, a joint library and parks and recreational facility, and the acquisition of related land, rights of way and equipment, and providing that additional taxes may be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on said bonds, be approved?”
Note there is no mention of the Vance Chavis-Windsor facility or of the Greensboro Science Center in the language governing how the bond money will be spent.
CROOKS – every one!
The City is taking their m.o. from the Federal Govt in Washington. Just now, there is a $70+ BILLION dollars subsidy bill in the Senate. Yes, zillions of dollars to subside (give) money to some businesses in the Tech field. These are the same Tech Companies who donate mucho dinero to both parties. Never mind that there is no money available to spend on anything non-essential (and essential). Just borrow it. The Federal Govt can get away with this (but we can’t), because they can print the money they want. The supply of money is up some 49% in the last couple years or so. And WE are paying for it right now – it’s called inflation.
Most Republicans will not vote for this, but a few will slip it by, as they need contributions to make their case to the voter, too.
My errerr, money supply was up (only) 41+%.
This doonboggle is now up to $250 Billion, with support from BOTH parties. They all want to get re-elected this November. A billion here, and billion there; first thing you know we’ll be taking about real money.
Throw ALL the bums out. If we continue to vote ourselves a free lunch, we’ll continue to get it – rice & beans at a soop kitchen – line up for yours. All while the cat-fatters waller in their cat-bird seats of power.
What, our politicians are lying to us? Never!!!!
John-can you do a story that states each section of the city tax revenue collected and report on the the distribution to each section of the city.
I bet the Northwest tax revenue is not receiving their share of tax dollars collected and dispersed in the Northwest section of the city versus the money is being freely taken from other high tax revenue sections of the city and being unevenly being dispersed to the Eastside of Greensboro. If you cannot or are unable to do this investigation can you contact someone who can?
To be clear I have no problem helping those in need, however our current city council freely without accountability takes and gives this money away to other council members, past and present (IE- cure for violence ) instead of investing in the police and fire departments.
It would be nice to have our tax money being spent in other sections of the city.
The city is making investments on all sides of the city and the county
Please share the list of investment (s)
I thought North Carolina legislation mandates that bond referendums specifically identify the projects and the budgets allocated to this projects be in writing on the ballot itself. If it passes, it can go only to the projects identified. I’m pretty darned sure that is the case.
Easy decision. Vote “NO” on all the bonds on the ballot. Problem solved.