The public portion of the Greensboro City Council’s 2023 legislative agenda process has begun and it’s stranger than usual.
The legislative agenda process is being handled by the new Intergovernmental Relations Manager LaToya Ceasar-Crawford, who has little experience dealing with state government. Ceasar-Crawford once again began her presentation by explaining that the legislative agenda is a list of items that the City Council would like to have the state legislature pass in the 2023 session.
Two items on the legislative agenda proposed by Ceasar-Crawford stood out as particularly troubling suggestions.
One was to seek legislation to implement traffic control cameras in school zones that would allow the city to cover its costs from the fines.
It didn’t appear the city councilmembers paid any attention to City Attorney Chuck Watts when he said, “That’s a constitutional requirement, so that can’t be changed by legislation.”
One of Greensboro’s lobbyists from the firm McGuire Woods added, “The fact that schools receive the fines is in the state constitution so that can’t be changed.”
While a long schedule of meetings to develop the legislative agenda was presented, it appears that a meeting with the city attorney or with the city’s paid lobbyists on the legality of what was being proposed was not part of the process.
But the fact that the city plans to ask the legislature to do something that is not in its power to do did not seem to deter the City Council.
However, the truly bizarre item on the proposed legislative agenda is to ask the state to give Gate City Boulevard to the city. Ceasar-Crawford said, “At the state level we are asking for the transfer of ownership of Gate City Boulevard to the city.”
Fortunately, this did not appear to have City Council support.
Councilmember Yvonne Johnson said, “I don’t want to take over a state road.”
Matheny said, “I would not ask for the road. It’s too expensive.”
City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba said one of the colleges had requested this which is why it was on the proposed legislative agenda.
Councilmember Sharon Hightower asked, “Is the college willing to share in the cost the maintenance of this road?”
While not a good idea for Greensboro taxpayers, this appears to be one item on the legislative agenda that might be easy to get through the state legislature. Why wouldn’t the state want one less road to maintain?
The entire meeting shows just how out of touch these people are. They can’t even keep it within their own purview, wanting to overstep at every turn, and the City Manager cryptically states “a college asked for it” I’ll take AT&T for one hundred Ken!
Can we vote to impeach City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba?
They would have to pass a special tax to buy out his contract.
The blind leading the blind. Another SNAFU in the making. Next time hire someone with experience.
IDIOT!!!!
Once again someone is hired to do a job they are not qualified to do!
So Lady LaToya wants to bring us Speed Trap Cameras. No thank you.
It’s just another example of the Left’s war on the private automobile. The Left detests and resents our cars, which is why they’re trying to make driving as frustrating, costly, time consuming and aggravating as they can. That’s why they’re choking roads with unused bike lanes, trying forever to cut speed limits, upping fees and charges whenever they can, and now this jumped up bureaucrat wants to set up speed traps using cameras.
If we allow this, our city will be infested with them on every road within a decade. And driving will be a misery.
Stop sanctimonious busybodies right now.
Oh, sorry, that’s the “Intergovernmental Relations Manager”…. what a joke.
Again, I am thanking God I moved out of the asylum called Greensboro to a place they won’t be able to take over.