The political clout of Greensboro's rentier class

“We need action right away,” Roy Carroll told Greensboro City Council members last night. “Downtown has come too far and too much is at stake. We must take bold and decisive steps to ensure that all of our citizens have a safe environment wherever they are not matter what time of day it is.”

Carroll is a prominent developer in Greensboro whose CenterPointe residential and commercial high-rise is a focal point of downtown. A handful of downtown property owners, along with their advocates in Downtown Greensboro Inc., Action Greensboro and the Cemala Foundation, trooped into council chambers to make it clear to council that they favored a downtown curfew for people under the age of 18 and tougher anti-loitering measures. Earlier, about a dozen property owners had met with Councilman Zack Matheny and Mayor Bill Knight, along with city and Downtown Greensboro Inc. staff. Matheny spearheaded the initiative, announcing the new measures a mere six days before they came up for a vote.

Betty Cone, chair of Downtown Greensboro Inc.’s board and a civic volunteer responsible for the city’s annual Fun Fourth Festival, asked for all those in favor of the new public safety measures to stand. About 10 people did so. On the other side of the issue, a wide variety of citizens both white and black, including downtown residents, restaurateurs, along with people who frequent the entertainment district, spoke out against the proposed curfew. Among the arguments made was that it would unfairly profile youth, police would have difficulty discerning which young people had a legitimate reason to be downtown such as employed restaurant workers and musicians, it would hurt business owners for whom high school students comprise a significant market and it would be expensive to enforce.

Before the vote took place, at-large Councilman Robbie Perkins indicated he doubted there was sufficient support to pass it, but ultimately the curfew was opposed by a vote of 6-3. Two resolutions to crack down on loitering each passed 8-1.

The votes appear to confirm that Greensboro is a rentier regime, with downtown property owners and their supporters prevailing over other constituencies. Do how much did proponents of stricter downtown public safety regulations give to the campaigns of sitting council members during the 2009 election cycle?

Roy Carroll, developer (including family members and employees): $1,700 (total)
• $450 to District 2 Councilman Jim Kee
• $450 to District 5 Councilwoman Trudy Wade
• $450 to District 3 Councilman Zack Matheny
• $350 to at-large Councilman Robbie Perkins
Susan Schwartz, Cemala Foundation: $300 (total)
• $100 to Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Vaughan
• $100 to Matheny
• $100 to Perkins
Randall Kaplan, Capsule Group: $200 (total)
• $200 to Vaughan
Betty Cone, Downtown Greensboro Inc. (board): $100 (total)
• $100 to Vaughan
Milton Kern, developer: $100 (total)
• $100 to Vaughan

Contributions from this group to victorious candidates in the 2009 election cycle totaled $2,400. Reflecting more prosperous times, total contributions from the same group to victorious candidates in the 2007 election cycle came to $7,740.

How did the votes come down?

Motion to create downtown curfew for those under the age of 18

For: Mayor Bill Knight, at-large Councilman Robbie Perkins, at-large Councilman Danny Thompson, District 3 Councilman Zack Matheny, District 4 Councilwoman Mary Rakestraw and District 5 Councilwoman Trudy Wade
Against: Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Vaughan, District 1 Councilwoman Dianne Bellamy-Small and District 2 Councilman Jim Kee

Motion to approve ordinance amendment to prohibit loitering in municipal parking garages:

For: Knight, Vaughan, Perkins, Thompson, Kee, Matheny, Rakestraw and Wade
Against: Bellamy-Small

Motion to approve ordinance amendment to prohibit loitering within 50 feet of an establishment that serves alcohol:

For: Knight, Vaughan, Perkins, Thompson, Kee, Matheny, Rakestraw and Wade
Against: Bellamy-Small