(This story has been revised with additional information.)
At the Tuesday, April 6 meeting, the City Council is expected to approve giving a surplus vehicle to the Interactive Resource Center (IRC).
The executive director of the IRC is At-large City Councilmember Michelle Kennedy.
It was reported earlier in the Rhino Times that donating a surplus vehicle to a nonprofit organization, while legal, is unusual.
It would be more accurate to state that for the city to donate a surplus vehicle to most of the hundreds of nonprofit organizations in the city is unusual, according to an email from Deputy Financial Director of the Financial and Administrative Services Department Chris Payne.
In the past 10 years, the City of Greensboro has not donated a surplus vehicle to any nonprofit organization other than the IRC and Greensboro Downtown Parks, Inc. (GDPI), which although a nonprofit is a public-private partnership with the City of Greensboro. GDPI receives over $400,000 annually from the city to manage LeBauer Park and Center City Park. In August 2017, the City Council agreed to donate a 2008 F-150 Ford pickup truck to GDPI.
The vast majority of the city’s surplus vehicles are sold, according to Payne.
If the City Council approves this gift to the IRC, it will be the sixth vehicle the City Council has approved for donation to the IRC in the past two years.
The only other nonprofit organization that has received the gift of a surplus vehicle from the city in recent times was over 10 years ago, in February 2010, when the city donated a 2005 Crown Victoria police car valued at $3,500 to the Greensboro Children’s Museum for display in an exhibit.
Kennedy was elected to the City Council in November 2017, and in August 2019 the city gave the IRC a 2008 Chevrolet Impala valued at $2,500, a 2009 Ford Escape valued at $4,000, a 2011 John Deere Gator valued at $3,500, a 2008 John Deer Gator valued at $3,000, and a 2007 Toyota 4Runner valued at $6,500.
The vehicle that the City Council will consider giving to the IRC on April 6 is a 2005 Dodge Caravan valued at $3,000.
A 2005 Dodge Caravan in good condition, depending on options and mileage, is valued at between $1,000 and $3,200 according to Kelley Blue Book.
In the immortal words of Pvt. Gomer Pyle “Surprise!, surprise!, surprise!”
Why is it that every time our city leaders either donate money or give things away, there is always a tie to city government?
Where are all these vehicles now?who drives them?were they sold?
Follow the money.
Something just doesn’t seem right here.
I’m curious where are the gators and what are they being used for. The irs’s property is not big enough for one gator and especially not two. As Ricky used to say Lucy you’ve got some explaining to do.
In Third World countries it’s called what it is – CORRUPTION.
Truly groundbreaking journalism, John! You mean to tell me that a non-profit that subsists -by definition- on charitable donations has asked a local government to donate an almost fully depreciated, obsolescent, 16-year-old mini van?
BAM Got’em! You saved us again. Let’s hear it for print journalism! If it wasn’t for you and your staff-members at RT, who knows how many hamster cages would go without their lining.
Do you not see the issue with a council member self dealing? Also this seems to have been under the radar.
His point is, this is the ONLY non-profit the city does that for and it happens to be run by one of your city council members.
What does the IRC do with the donated vehicles specifically
Why are no other charities given vehicles? Is it due to an uber liberal government and their connections? Hmmmm. What are the salaries at this nonprofit? Some libs think profits are bad, m-kay.
Lineup nonprofits. Free vehicles! All you have to do is get elected to city council and play ball with Mandate Mayor.
Michelle Kennedy has certainly benefited from being a Council Member. I bet she doesn’t recuse herself from the vote either, or maybe she will bring a baby to vote for her. How can Council not see this is a conflict to interest. Where is the City Attorney..oh yes, he works for the Council,, not the people. I’d say Michelle Kennedy, Mayor Protem Johnson (cure violence) and a couple of others have done well while on Council. They have dooped all of the citizens. Bet Kennedy also does her “I have been there” speech. How many times do we have to hear that.
Just another way for the council members to work the system and get alittle more for free from the city.
My question is simple. Does the city no longer NEED the vehicles, so they are donating them to non-profits who DO need them? Or, will new vehicles be purchased to replace those donated? And why would you donate vehicles that are still USEFUL if they are still NEEDED? And… if they are no longer useful, being in disrepair or whatever, why not scrap them? I’m so confused.
There was a statement when I was younger”there is something Rotten in Denmark”. This applies to government giving anything away of value.Never is it given to one of our members or their companies because “it just ain’t right”.