There weren’t many comments from Greensboro city councilmembers at the Tuesday, May 16 meeting about City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba’s “Going Forward Together” – also known as the recommended 2023-2024 budget.
Mayor Nancy Vaughan had asked councilmembers to make note of their comments and questions and save them for the budget work sessions. Councilmembers rarely say much after the manager’s presentation. It is their first look at the recommended city budget, in this case a $749 million budget with a recommended 4 cent property tax increase. So most councilmembers prefer to have time to take a long look at the budget before making public comments.
Like the rest of the council, Councilmember Zack Matheny didn’t have much to say at the May 16 meeting about the budget, but was willing to make a few comments on Friday, May 19.
Matheny said that he needed time to really dig down into the budget, but that the presentation had raised some serious concerns.
Matheny said, “I recommended, along with the mayor, that we not have a tax increase.” Matheny said that, in light of the large tax increase last year, which increased the budget by $48 million, he didn’t see a need for a tax increase this year, and that the city had to consider the burden being placed on property owners.
Despite the tax increase and the massive increase in spending Jaiyeoba has recommended over the past two years, the recommended budget, “Going Forward Together,” did not increase police starting salaries to the level the City Council requested.
Matheny said, “I want the police to have starting salaries that the City Council by majority vote recommended, which is $57,000, not $52,000.”
Councilmember Marikay Abuzuaiter made a similar comment at the council meeting.
Matheny said, “To come back with a budget without that police salary increase and to have a tax increase – that’s a nonstarter in my book.”
Matheny served on the City Council from 2007 to 2015 before being re-elected to the District 3 City Council seat in 2022, so this is far from his first budget.
Matheny noted that the city staff had ways of hiding things in the budget, such as an proposed increase in parking fees at downtown parking decks. He said increasing parking fees is the exact opposite of what the city should be doing to encourage economic development and that was an issue he planned to bring up during the work sessions.
There weren’t many comments from Greensboro city councilmembers at the Tuesday, May 16 meeting about City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba’s “Going Forward Together” – also known as the recommended 2023-2024 budget.
Mayor Nancy Vaughan had asked councilmembers to make note of their comments and questions and save them for the budget work sessions. Councilmembers rarely say much after the manager’s presentation. It is their first look at the recommended city budget, in this case a $749 million budget with a recommended 4 cent property tax increase. So most councilmembers prefer to have time to take a long look at the budget before making public comments.
Like the rest of the council, Councilmember Zack Matheny didn’t have much to say at the May 16 meeting about the budget, but was willing to make a few comments on Friday, May 19.
Matheny said that he needed time to really dig down into the budget, but that the presentation had raised some serious concerns.
Matheny said, “I recommended, along with the mayor, that we not have a tax increase.” Matheny said that, in light of the large tax increase last year, which increased the budget by $48 million, he didn’t see a need for a tax increase this year, and that the city had to consider the burden being placed on property owners.
Despite the tax increase and the massive increase in spending Jaiyeoba has recommended over the past two years, the recommended budget, “Going Forward Together,” did not increase police starting salaries to the level the City Council requested.
Matheny said, “I want the police to have starting salaries that the City Council by majority vote recommended, which is $57,000, not $52,000.”
Councilmember Marikay Abuzuaiter made a similar comment at the council meeting.
Matheny said, “To come back with a budget without that police salary increase and to have a tax increase – that’s a nonstarter in my book.”
Matheny served on the City Council from 2007 to 2015 before being re-elected to the District 3 City Council seat in 2022, so this is far from his first budget.
Matheny noted that the city staff had ways of hiding things in the budget, such as an proposed increase in parking fees at downtown parking decks. He said increasing parking fees is the exact opposite of what the city should be doing to encourage economic development and that was an issue he planned to bring up during the work sessions.
Hey Council, you are the city managers boss. If he is not doing what the majority of council is asking him to do find someone who will. Do what you were elected to do-lead.
You now have neighboring police agencies approaching $60,000. The longer you dick around and do not address salaries and take home cars the larger the gap becomes. And no Sharon, police are not like other city employees.
Appears Matheny is the only council member with a brain and does not live on the city dole like many other council members who use the system to pad their pockets with their pet projects. How about some major cost reductions instead of cost increases. Serve the people, not yourselves. Also, consider termination for your so called city manager.
Thank you Mr. Matheny. You are the only voice of reason on so many things. Know that the Citizens are with you. Council May ignore you but we applaud you. It’s time other members of Council listen to you.
I’m not very fond of little Bryan, ever since he was churlish enough to refuse to shake my extended hand after an issue that brought us into conflict during his first stint as a councilman (in which I prevailed), but I must admit that he is often a sane voice in the city council chambers.
That’s worth a lot.
We all make mistakes – in much more heinous ways – but I’ll refrain from mentioning them and I wish him the best as we, um, go forward together…
Cheers!
Is that apophasis…?
Thank you Mr. Matheny. The rest ofvthe council needs to listen to you .
The city manager is the council’s employee. He should be terminated. Why was he ever hired?
Such tax rates keep people from moving to Greensboro, individuals and businesses. Greensboro needs to grow. It has dsllen behind in so jsny ways and behind many other cities.
The managers solutions on police shortages are laughable. Such as, lower the allotted compliment and you won’t be as short. How stupid! You still heed the same number of officers to effectively protect the city. Raise police salaries as council had requested. Raise all officers salaries accordingly. Don’t forget the Fire Deoartmrnt, either as they have a lot of the same problem as the PD and need good firefighters and they should be adequately compensated.
No, City Manager and Council Members, police and fire employees are not like other city employees. All city rmployees are important, but police and fire have to be you priority. Without them, the city is nothing and will be destroyed.
Again, thanks Mr. Matheny. KEEP UP YOUR WORK AND MAKE OTHERS LISTEN.
Keep the taxes down, in fact, lower. More police, more firefighters with GOOD pay and perks. Terminate the city manager and find someone who wants to positively grow the city in all ways.
How to save money – Fire the city manager, a five year old could do a better job, Fire the city attorney, Fire Matt Brown. Set term limits for the city council. Stop giving money to charities, that should be a personal decision of the tax payers, All of the sitting council resign and move to California, Chicago or New York. Require all departments to present a 20% reduction of their budget except the police dept, give them a raise.
Zach, rather than simply saying “Don’t raise taxes”, how about putting in some work and find ways to cut spending where it isn’t needed so we can spend money where it is? I mean actually look at the budget line by line and see where money is being wasted. The dumb downtown trolly idea comes right to mind as to the millions of dollars we spend on empty transit busses. Even stuff built with grant money still costs us money on salaries etc in the long run. Stop wasting my money!
I am sure Zack wants the trolleys because it looks good for DGI. I don’t know why a drunk cannot walk from one end of Elm Street to another.
Perhaps you should ask Zack…
While I understand that the Mayor was watching after time by asking Council to reserve their comments for work session, we, the citizens want and need to hear them. No discussion and comments makes us think you are ok with the proposed budget. That is our only forum to hear those comments. Thank you to Mr. Matheny for his comments and Ms. Abuziaiter for her comments in support of the police department. I know you have long meetings but no comments scares the citizens. We need to hear your thoughts. You are our representatives and we need to hear from you!
It’s fine that all of you make comments on the Rhino, BUT WE NEED PEOPLE TO GOMTO THE COUNCIL MEETINGS AND SPEAK UP. MAKING COMMENTS IN HERE ABOUT THE BUDGET IS NOT GOING TO DO ANY GOOD. PLEASE. PLEASE RESIDENTS OF GREENSBORO, COME OUT AND SOEAK AGAINST THE BUDGET AND ANOTHER TAX INCREASE!