Incumbent or challenger? Challenger
Age: 71
Campaign website: None
Endorsement: Conservatives for Guilford County, Joe Guarino and Rhinoceros Times
Occupation and employer: Retired travel agent
Previous elective experience (including election campaigns): None
Civic and volunteer experience (including service on city commissions and boards): Pianist and Sunday school teacher, Rehobeth Baptist Church
Education (highest degree attained and name of institution): Associate’s degree in travel and tourism, Rockingham Community College
Party registration: Republican (nonpartisan contest)
What is the city of your birth? Greensboro
Paid consultants working on your campaign: No
Campaign manager: None at the time (Aug. 8)
Treasurer: None at the time (Aug. 8)
Do you favor or oppose reopening the White Street Landfill for household waste, beyond the small amount of sewer sludge currently accepted? Briefly explain your position.
I would continue to investigate all options before rendering an opinion on this important issue. The voices of all our citizens need to be heard.
Where do you stand on the “strong manager” form of city government and why?
Although I favor a strong manager, I still feel he should be answerable to the city council.
Should the city of Greensboro place more or less emphasis on maintaining a healthy water and sewer fund to plan for future growth? Why or why not?
I definitely believe more emphasis should be put on having clean and healthy water. Plans should be initiated now to plan for growth in the future.
The city’s tax base has remained flat for the past two years in a row, and the foreclosure crisis continues unabated. As a member of city council, how would you balance the need to fund services such as police patrol, fire protection and park maintenance that citizens care about with the reality that the revenue picture remains bleak?
We should take a hard look at other places that revenues are not needed as much and eliminate waste wherever we can.
Do you believe that city staff deserves council support to implement a program to spend federal grant money to improve the energy efficiency of residences and businesses, or does this program warrant additional oversight from council? Briefly explain your position.
Again I feel the council should closely monitor where this money is spent because I believe there are cases where this money is not being used as wisely as it could be.
How would you assess the value and effectiveness of Greensboro’s Rental Unit Certificate of Occupancy program, which is now prohibited by state law?
This needs more study before giving a decision.
How should the impasse over management and operation of the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market be resolved?
Allow local farmers to operate with someone in charge who actually has a business there. Perhaps the farmers themselves could elect someone to help them operate the market.
What, if anything, should be done to resolve racial tensions, and to enhance professionalism, integrity and fairness within the Greensboro Police Department?
I believe Chief of Police Ken Miller is doing a fine job and although I do not agree with some of his decisions. I believe in time the integrity of our police force will be restored. If there are disgruntled police officers who do not have valid complaints, I believe they should be discharged.
What would you change about Greensboro’s land use patterns if the decision were yours to make? Please answer the question in terms of places people live, work and shop, in terms of the modes of transportation people use to get from point to point and the vitality of neighborhoods and commercial corridors?
This is a question that needs to be addressed by our citizens. If more routes are needed by our citizens on the buses, they must reconcile the fact that prices will probably be increased. In terms of malls and shopping centers, the ones we now have do not seem to be utilized as merchants hope they would
What is Greensboro’s greatest asset? What is Greensboro’s most pressing problem?
The greatest asset would be the people themselves. Everyone who visits our city comments on the goodwill and hospitality they feel here. Our most pressing problem would be what to do about the gangs that continue to grow.
Articles about this candidate:
2011 primary election endorsement & voter guide (link)
Wade, Knight make no apologies for landfill decision (link)
Candidate profile: Jean Brown (link)
At-large candidates in Greensboro municipal election struggle to differentiate themselves (link)
Northeast Greensboro council incumbent challenges the challengers (link)
Campaign season underway in Greensboro municipal elections (link)
