Should cities play nice with the legislature, no matter what?
Published April 21, 2015
By Doug Clark, Off the Record, Greensboro News-Record, April 20, 2015.
A liability.
That's how conservative City Councilman Tony Wilkins views Mayor Nancy Vaughan when it comes to dealing with the General Assembly, Joe Killian reports.
Although Wilkins may not run for mayor against Vaughan this year, he says:
"But we do need options this election cycle because our current mayor has certainly developed herself into a liability when it comes to the North Carolina General Assembly."
"Wilkins said Vaughan has publicly butted heads with the General Assembly enough that Greensboro's relationship with the Republican majority there could hardly be worse," Joe writes.
"Vaughan doesn't deny she and the majority of the council have opposed a lot of things coming out of Raleigh in the last year — but she says they've done so in the best interest of the city."
This isn't unique to Greensboro. In fact, the state's largest city is experiencing the same thing, according to Charlotte Observer editorial writer Eric Frazier.
He describes a recent conversation with House Finance Chairman Bill Brawley (R-Mecklenberg), who said: “Being Charlotte’s friend, as a Republican, is a thankless and dangerous task.”
"A tad melodramatic? Maybe," Frazier writes. "But Charlotte’s backers have been complaining loudly in recent months about unfriendly legislation on everything from business taxes to sales taxes to the still-in-limbo extension of the tax cap on jet fuel sales – a measure ardently desired by one of the most important corporations doing business in the city, American Airlines."
From Brawley's point of view:
"But Charlotte’s troubles in Raleigh, he said, are self-inflicted wounds.
"Charlotte keeps demanding big-ticket items for itself, he says, rather than framing such requests as part of broader statewide infrastructure packages.
"So what does the city need to do? Mount a charm offensive in Raleigh?
“'No, what you need to do is rejoin North Carolina,' he said."
That's a curious attitude toward a city that has distinguished itself from the rest of North Carolina in positive ways. The big-ticket items it "demands," such as funding for innovative transportation projects, are the same kind it demanded when Republican Gov. Pat McCrory was Charlotte's mayor for so many years. They helped put Charlotte on the national map. To "rejoin North Carolina" means to slide backward.
Frazier's take:
"I respect his point of view, which appears sincerely held. But short of electing a majority-Republican city council, there’s not much the city can do. And that’s not happening anytime soon.
"Given the bold GOP power grabs against Charlotte and other big cities recently, it was surprising to find that a powerful House committee leader feels it’s Charlotte that needs to play nicer."
It's equally surprising to hear a Greensboro City Council member essentially say the same thing about Mayor Vaughan and his other more liberal colleagues.
Are they supposed to thank the Republican legislature for actions that would weaken the city so that even worse things aren't done to it?
I don't think anyone elects a mayor to do that.
April 21, 2015 at 10:23 am
Richard L Bunce says:
Government on government crime...
The State Legislature creates municipalities in NC with very limited powers. The Legislature then has an obligation to reign in their creations when they exceed their very limited powers... and for decades the Legislature has let them get away with abusing the residents and property owners, particularly non resident property owners who do not have a vote for municipal officials.
