You know, I’ve been spending a lot of time lately talking to the people of Greensboro.
I’m on a mission to interview a thousand residents. I’m asking four simple questions: What do you like about Greensboro? What don’t you like? What would you change? And what would you like Greensboro to become?
And I’m learning something fascinating.
People love this city. They really do.
But they also want to know something.
Where the hell is all our money going?
And that’s a pretty reasonable question.
Because right now, Greensboro is asking voters to approve $41.5 million in bonds.
Forty-one and a half million dollars.
Now, before anybody gets excited, I’m not saying that’s a bad thing.
In fact, when you look at what the money is supposed to accomplish, there’s a lot to like.
We’ve got $15.9 million for firefighting facilities.
Eleven and a half million for parks and recreation.
Seven million for transportation.
Five million for housing.
And another $2.1 million for general facilities.
These aren’t frivolous projects.
We’re talking about fire stations, deteriorating bridges, contaminated parks, housing for homeless people, and public buildings that need repairs.
These are legitimate needs.
But here’s where things get interesting.
At the very same time Greensboro is asking to borrow $41.5 million, the state of North Carolina has placed the city on a financial watchlist.
Now, hold on a minute.
We’re asking taxpayers to approve millions in new borrowing, and the state is telling us we need to pay closer attention to our financial management?
Doesn’t that deserve a conversation?
I think it does.
And I think that conversation is long overdue.
THE REAL PROBLEM
Here’s what happened.
The North Carolina Local Government Commission identified concerns about Greensboro’s financial reserves.
Those reserves have fallen below the commission’s 25% benchmark.
Now, reserves are important.
Think about your own household.
You’ve got your checking account. You’ve got your savings account. You’ve got your monthly expenses.
And hopefully, you’ve got some money set aside for emergencies.
Because eventually, the roof leaks.
The car breaks down.
The air conditioner quits in August.
And if you don’t have the money, you’ve got a problem.
Well, cities aren’t that different.
Except instead of replacing an air conditioner, we’re replacing bridges.
And instead of fixing the kitchen sink, we’re cleaning up a contaminated park.
And instead of buying a new refrigerator, we’re building a fire station.
The numbers are just a hell of a lot bigger.
But the principles are exactly the same.
You plan. You budget. You maintain. And you prepare for the future.
Now, I want to be fair.
The state commission has said it has no concerns about these particular bond proposals.
And Greensboro still has excellent credit ratings.
That’s important information.
But that doesn’t eliminate the larger question.
How did we get here?
And what are we going to do differently?
THE $40 MILLION PARK
Let me give you an example.
Bingham Park.
It’s in east Greensboro.
The park was previously used as a landfill, and contamination has forced it to close.
The city estimates that cleaning it up will cost approximately $40 million.
Forty million dollars!
And this bond package includes $5 million toward that effort.
Now, I absolutely believe the people of east Greensboro deserve safe, beautiful parks.
They deserve the same quality of public spaces as everybody else in this city.
That’s not negotiable.
But I have questions.
How long have we known about this problem?
What was done when the contamination was first identified?
Why is the cleanup expected to cost $40 million?
What alternatives have been considered?
And what’s the long-term plan?
I’m not suggesting anybody has done anything wrong.
I’m suggesting that taxpayers deserve answers.
Because when you’re talking about $40 million to restore a single park, you better have a pretty damn good plan.
And you better be willing to explain it.
WE NEED TO CHANGE HOW WE THINK
Here’s what really bothers me.
Too often, government operates reactively.
Something breaks.
We fix it.
Something deteriorates.
We replace it.
Something becomes an emergency.
We find the money.
And then we do it all over again.
But what if we changed that?
What if Greensboro started thinking 10, 20, even 30 years into the future?
What if we had a comprehensive infrastructure plan?
Every bridge.
Every road.
Every fire station.
Every park.
Every public building.
We know its condition.
We know its expected lifespan.
We know what maintenance it requires.
And we know approximately what it’s going to cost.
And most importantly, we plan for those expenses before they become emergencies.
That’s