Residential address: Beech Street (map)
Incumbent or challenger: Challenger
Age: 45
Campaign website or blog: chrisphillips.us (link)
Occupation and employer: Sales, HH Gregg
Previous elective experience (including election campaigns): Volunteer for Theresa Yon campaign for NC House, 2010; volunteer for Guilford County Republican Party
Civic and volunteer experience (including service on city commissions and boards): Presenter, People First Spending Reform Summit sponsored by Conservatives for Guilford County, May 16, 2011; author, Take Over Liberalism in America
Education (highest degree attained and name of institution): Bachelors, UNCG
Party registration: Republican (nonpartisan contest)
Where were you born? Brooklyn, NY
When did you move to Greensboro? 1991
Paid consultants working on campaign: None (as of Aug. 13)
Campaign manager: None (as of Aug. 13)
Treasurer: None (as of Aug. 13)
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 favor reopening the White Street Landfill. However, there needs to be certain conditions that should be met. The landfill must not be a health hazard to the people that live in the community. That there is no foul odor or smell that would disturb the community. I, as a child suffered from asthma and I still struggle with it sometimes, so I don't want any children in the community to be affected with this if it is a health issue. That all sides have been presented and the right decision(s) have been made that reopening the landfill is the best one for Greensboro and this is the best way to save money and invest in other things that will help in creating jobs and making new energy resources.
Where do you stand on the “strong manager” form of city government and why?
I am in favor of the “strong manager” form of city government. I believe that the mayor of any city should be a good leader with the ability to communicate well with his or her staff and the members of the city council. He or she should be able to make wise decisions that go for the good of all of the residents of that city and also be able to communicate well with the city’s residents.
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?
The city of Greensboro should place more emphasis on maintaining a healthy water and sewer fund. Why? Because I believe that have good, clean water is valuable to maintain good health for the residents of Greensboro. People need water to drink, they use water to bathe or shower with. Bad water is not healthy or good for anyone. We must do what we can to be sure that Greensboro’s residents have good, safe and healthy water and sewer facilities. Good water also is necessary to keep our trees and grass growing properly and keeping Greensboro the beautiful city it is.
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?
As Mayor, I believe that my first task is to be sure that Greensboro spends money wisely. Taxes and revenue, if spent properly, should be able to fund services such as our police and fire departments and maintaining city services such as the park that our children and grandchildren play in. So, wasteful spending must stop which is something that I as mayor, if elected, will heavily focus on. To bring in more revenue to our city, we have to get Greensboro’s unemployed back to work. If you work, you have to pay taxes. Greensboro's population is over 250,000 people. Its unemployment rate is over 10 percent. That means that roughly 25,000 people are not working and not paying taxes. If more people are working, then more taxes are being paid. Creating jobs and economic growth will be my main priority if elected mayor of Greensboro.
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.
I believe that federal grant money can be used if no stipulations are involved with it. To be honest, I really think that if the city’s money is used wisely, then federal grant money is really not needed. However, if the issue comes up, then I believe that the mayor and the members of the city council must be in total agreement on how the fund(s) should and will be used.
How would you assess the value and effectiveness of Greensboro’s Rental Unit Certificate of Occupancy program, which is now prohibited by state law?
I believe that the Greensboro's Rental Unit Certificate of Occupancy is valuable and effective if implemented properly. In living in a rental house myself, I know what it is like to have problems with things not working and having to hunt down landlords to get things taken care of in a timely manner. I would want all Greensboro’s residents who live in rental properties to have the best living conditions possible. If landlords or the people who run these properties have any kind of violations and if they are not taken care of in a timely manner, then they should be punished to the full limit of the law.
How should the impasse over management and operation of the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market be resolved?
I believe that the farmer’s market should be managed by a nonprofit organization. In reading about this issue, I would not agree to let the Greensboro Coliseum take over the market. The market should be managed by people who know the ins and outs of the market. In working for many retail organizations over the last few years, one of the main problems I see is a serious amount of micromanaging. No one should be allowed to micromanage an organization. When this happens, you open up a chance to have disunity and businesses not running properly. I believe that the nonprofit was the best decision for the management of the farmer’s market.
What, if anything, should be done to resolve racial tensions, and to enhance professionalism, integrity and fairness within the Greensboro Police Department?
In living in East Greensboro, I see the aftermaths of crime – crime which destroys the community, especially black-on-black crime. I think that to resolve racial tensions and to enhance professionalism, integrity and fairness within the police department, there should be more community meetings with the police department so the citizens can express their concerns. Discrimination and racism should not be tolerated by any means. If a police officer is discriminatory to any of Greensboro’s residents, then they should not be on the force. As mayor, if elected, I will be sure that I am working with our police department to make sure that our citizens feel safe and secure and that we have the best staff possible. I will try and be sure that our police department and the citizens of Greensboro’s communities are working together to stop crime and violence that brings our city down.
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?
If it were my decision to make, then I would want to make sure that the land use patterns are relative to Greensboro’s neighborhoods and that we use vacant land to lay groundwork so that companies can come here and help bring jobs here. I would want to be sure that there are good restaurants and that there is a good business climate in that area. Also, I would make sure that if jobs can be created in the area where the land is, that we have proper ways of getting people to and from work. In riding public transportation, as I do every day, it is hard to get around to some places in Greensboro. This needs to change in order to make sure people can get to and from work.
What is Greensboro’s greatest asset? What is Greensboro’s most pressing problem?
I believe that Greensboro's greatest asset is its colleges and universities. In Greensboro, we have some of the best schools in the state and in the nation with those being of NC A&T, UNCG (my alma-mater), Greensboro College and Bennett College. Our city has the ability to educate the best young minds in America and send them out into the world to do great things.
Greensboro’s most pressing problem, without a doubt, is the lack of jobs and economic growth. I've lived in Greensboro since 1991. I have not had a chance to have a career type job that pays a great income. While I thank God for my current job, I, like many of Greensboro’s working residents have seen stagnant wages. This means that we are not growing economically. Greensboro as a city has lost more jobs than any other city in North Carolina over the last few years. Many of Greensboro's residents, especially my race of people (African-Americans), are having to depend on some kind of public assistance i.e. food stamps, Section 8 housing and utility bill assistance. We cannot continue to live like this. Our economic climate must change in order for the citizens of Greensboro to flourish. We have to get our people back to work. This is Greensboro’s number-one priority. If elected mayor, my goal is to work with our city leaders, and our council to make Greensboro business friendly and investing in our infrastructure and encourage companies to come here. I want to help in creating an environment where our small business people can create jobs and hire good workers who are willing to work. I also, if possible, want to work with our state legislature and help lower taxes and regulations on our business men and women so their companies can grow. This will be my number-one goal if elected mayor of Greensboro.
Articles about this candidate:
2011 primary election endorsement & voter guide (link)
Candidate profile: Chris Phillips (link)
Wade, Knight make no apologies for landfill decision (link)
