The chosen few

In 2012, Tony Wilkins was appointed by Greensboro’s City Council to fill a vacancy created by the election of Trudy Wade to North Carolina’s Senate. Wilkins won reelection as an incumbent.

In 2015, Justin Outling was appointed to fill Downtown Greensboro Inc. CEO Zack Matheny’s council seat. Matheny gained his new position under ethically curious circumstances, not unlike Michelle Kennedy’s recent departure in exchange for a different taxpayer-funded gig. Outling went on to win as an incumbent and is running for mayor.

In 2017, Goldie Wells was appointed to the City Council to finish Jamal Fox’s term and won reelection as an incumbent.

In 2018, Skip Alston won a Guilford County Democratic Party special election to fill Ray Trapp’s unexpired term on the Board of County Commissioners before running for reelection as an incumbent. In 2020, Alston was chosen by his majority to be the commissioners’ chairman.

The city will receive $59.4 million in COVID-19 funding. Most of our current “elected” representatives who will vote for Kennedy’s replacement tonight will determine how the money is spent.

Chances are an at-large surrogate appointed by the council within months of an election will win as an incumbent in 2022.

Chances are our City Council won’t vote for candidates who pledge not to run.

George Hartzman

Greensboro

September 13, 2021