The following is a transcript of Greensboro City Council at-large candidate Marikay Abuzuaiter’s answers at a Guilford County Unity Effort forum on Sept. 22:
Introductory statement
Good evening. I first want to thank the Unity Effort, and I really want to thank everyone that came out in the rain and the downpour to come and listen to this forum, and I think the forum actually shows the collaborative effort that can happen when people want to come together and work towards a common cause, and learn about things. Personally, I believe that I am your only at-large candidate who has a vested interest in every district in Greensboro. I have, either with my husband or by business, or by home, or where we are every day, we are in every district every day. I went through the Greensboro Citizens Academy and Impact Greensboro, I was appointed human relations commissioner, and I was also appointed by Mayor Yvonne Johnson as co-chair of the International Advisory Committee. I believe all the things that I have learned and that I’ve learned over the years is that I can help bring together Greensboro where we can all prosper, have more economic development, which will, in turn, create jobs for the needy in Greensboro. Thank you.
Members of the sitting council have recently clashed over the proper relationship between the council and the manager. What, in your view, is the proper role of each?
As Mr. Nixon said, we do have a council-manager form of government, which means that the council directs the manager on what to do, of course, but as a city council representative I don’t think that you should be told or have it that you cannot go out to the various departments and see what they’re – I know at the citizens academy we went through every single department of the city, and you learn so much…. I understand that there’s a class now that – and the term has been used that some of the council members like to micromanage the departments. If it’s going to get information or get feedback from the departments, but the final is that the residents are going to let you know as a city council representative if they are unhappy with the way things are being run by the city manager and there on to the departments, but I don’t think you can actually say that the council should stay away from the departments. I think they need to be included and inclusive and hearing from the departments also.
The complaint review committee investigates complaints against police officers. Would you be in favor of giving this citizen panel subpoena authority to interview witnesses? Why or why not?
As a human relations commissioner I am well aware of the complaint review committee and the way that it runs. I am not specifically on that committee but I’ve heard all the discussion about the subpoena power. The city council passed wherein that the resolution was that the complaint review committee that passed with additional members, members from the community, but it would not have subpoena power at this time. Of course, in an ideal world it would have subpoena power, and that way everyone, witnesses, whatever could come to the table. The fear has been in the past that some of the witnesses would not want to come to the table for fear of reprisal. So with the subpoena power, that would be ideal. That did not pass with that statement in there, but it did pass without the subpoena power, and I believe that brings it to the forefront where, I believe, at least most of the complaint review committee’s stipulations are going to be enforced.
Economic growth and development have not occurred in east Greensboro to the same extent as in other areas of the city. If elected, what would you do to ensure that there is balanced economic growth and development across the various parts of the city?
I have to give this little story. This happened to me this week. I was getting gas on East Market Street – I’m on East Market Street a lot – and this kid came up to me. He said, “Ms. Abuzuaiter, we’re going to make our parents vote for you.” And I said, “Okay, that’s great. Why?” “Because I know you’ll get us a McDonalds on this side of town.” Now, yeah, that’s funny, but think about it. It’s sad, too. We need to make sure that all the amenities in northwest and west Greensboro, we have the same amenities in east Greensboro. We’ve got a $10 million economic development bond. How is that money being used in east Greensboro? We need to entice banks to go in east Greensboro because then they are required by law to have a Community Reinvestment Act and to put money back into the community. We don’t have that in east Greensboro. My kids went to Washington, Lincoln and Dudley. We were always left out. And this is why I would like for east Greensboro just as much if not more to get any part of the [inaudible] resources, because if we don’t have economic development in Greensboro, that is a major pathway in Greensboro. There are lots of people who need jobs. There are lots of small businesses there. And we have small businesses. These small businesses are not getting the help they deserve and the help that they need. These businesses could grow. These businesses could bring more jobs. There’s no reason a town the size of Greensboro cannot have equal economic development in all parts, and that’s why I’m running.
One of the questions in a candidate survey sent out by TREBIC [Triad Real Estate and Building Industries Coalition] is, do you think that sprawl is a problem in Greensboro. How did you answer this question?
I guess I think sprawl is a problem in Greensboro. I’m a big proponent of infill development…. Infill development would be trying to take — anyone driving around Greensboro — all the empty shopping centers — my restaurant is, personally, in one right now. All the empty shopping centers, all the areas inside, and we need to perhaps promote these to businesses and perhaps provide a form of incentives to businesses who would go in and fix the shopping centers up. That is a kind of infill development that can only create jobs inside Greensboro. I am very concerned about the sprawl in Greensboro because you go all over Greensboro and everything is kind of, there’s nothing connected. You drive north and you’ve got parts of the city that we annexed, and there’s a three mile gap before you even get to the part we annexed, which doesn’t make sense. Sprawl, we’re spread out so much that we don’t take care of what is currently in the city limits, and if we can promote and enforce things in the city limits, then that’s only going to promote growth, which will in turn create the tax revenue that the city is wanting so desperately. And therefore it would create jobs because the businesses would go into these places. I think it’s a disgrace when you see so many shopping centers that are empty and boarded up; we’ve got to do something.
How do you plan to include immigrants and refugee communities in the city council?
Yes, I have an inside look into this. I hope the question is still fair. I’m co-chair of the international advisory committee. And one of the things about Greensboro is that Greensboro is one of the few cities that opens its arms to immigrant refugees. And when our mayor set up an international advisory committee, the purpose of it was to bring in some of the community leaders in the different immigrant groups and then any information in our city that is hard for them those people take it back to their community. So it’s kind of [a] success story. And that is being done. Let me tell you: We’ve had four people on this committee and they’ve gone back to their community and they’ve actually applied to be on boards and commissions. We’ve had two members who are currently going through the citizens academy. We’ve done all these things where we meet only once a month, but what happens in the interim is these leaders of their ethnic community go back and explain to the community — we set up a website for them — maybe they don’t know English well enough to go on a computer, but I can assure you that their children and grandchildren can. These are small things that are currently being done to help the immigrant and refugee community. And I can honestly assure you that it is working. There is a lot more that needs to be done, but it is one success story.
Closing statement
My vision for Greensboro is of a vibrant, prosperous community, where all of us live in a warm and caring environment and where everyone has a job and where there is consideration of every resident’s concerns. I believe that I can do this for Greensboro. Let me tell you something that’s been a bit unusual over the past couple of years, getting more and more involved, and more and more passionate about things in Greensboro. We do have a wonderful community; we really, really do. If you go to other communities, you’ll see what I mean. I’ve been through a couple other ones. But this is going to take all of us. And I want to be your public servant. And, in case you don’t know, I’ve been in the service industry for the past 15 years. And I can’t recall the last time there was anyone on city council that came from the service industry. And that is the job — to be a public servant to you, and to serve the public. Thank you.
Triad Elections ’09
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