The Greensboro Police Department was the only department in the City of Greensboro that actually had its budget reduced when City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba presented his revised budget at the City Council work session on Tuesday, June 14.
The Greensboro City Council, with the notable exception of Councilmember Sharon Hightower, constantly voices its support for police. But when push came to shove and the majority of the City Council wanted to reduce the proposed 30 percent tax increase, it agreed to cut nearly $1 million from the GPD budget to lower the tax rate from 66.25 to 63.25, which is still more than an 8-cent increase from the revenue neutral rate of 54.56.
The cut was eliminating the funding for eight additional patrol officers, positions that had no chance of being filled in the upcoming budget year because the Police Department has over 100 vacancies in sworn police officers. It is worth noting that the number of vacancies in police ranks is growing, not shrinking, and by this time next year it could be 140 or 150.
However, despite the fact that the $960,000 was not going to be used to hire eight additional officers, that money was in the police budget and could have been used for other expenses, like overtime for the officers filling in the gaps because of the excessive number of vacancies. It could even have been used for bonuses for new recruits.
By comparison, Jaiyeoba added three employees to his own office. District 3 City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Justin Outling noted when he spoke against the revised budget that the new employees in the city manager’s office were not cut, nor were any of the 61.75 employees added to other departments cut. The only cut in the number of employees or in a department budget was to the Police Department.
The other spending reductions to make the revised budget balance at the 63.25 tax rate were mainly accounting moves, increasing the estimated revenue, moving spending out of the general fund and reducing the amount going into an economic development fund.
Who vetted this new City Manager? Too bad the citizens can’t vote on that position. I’m not sure I like any of the changes he’s made nor do I like this new excessive tax increase, especially during a time when we are all experiencing such high inflation. I wish we could vote the entire City Council out and fire this new City Manager!
Vote in July
This is great. Over the past years our budget has been going up, and crime has been going up. So maybe this will actually have a positive impact for our community.
SO this is Greensboro’s version of DEFUND THE POLICE???
Shame on our City Council and Mayor Vaughn!
In every way you could imagine. How can we defund the City?
It’s like this City Manager wants to be run out of Greensboro.
140-150 vacancies this time next year, along with over 100 at the Guilford County Sheriffs Office. Crime is already rampant, but it will be out of control. City leaders and County Commissioners need to figure something out. Drug Gangs are ruling the streets. The District Attorney needs to step up her game too and start putting Criminals away.
This DA only wants to lock up cops!
I have been telling you that this man is trouble, Charlotte told you to if you had even bothered to google his name. I am so fed up with these elected people that run Greensboro. What a bunch of complete I**** !!!
Some of these fools should be run out of town!
Leftist chant to defund the police but are confused as to why their city turns on to a slum and cry when they get raped and mugged in their liberal dystopia. Glad I’m not a Greensboro resident
Has anyone on the council reviewed the crime rates? I cannot wrap my head around the police force is 100 officers short and their budget gets cut. Blatant shootings, theft, break ins, cars converters being stolen in our front yards, etc etc. it’s time to stop addressing the wants of the politicians and address the needs of the community. Bickering and grand standing and muck raking have no business in our city or county government. Clean up your acts or the voters will.
I hope people in the city keep all this in mind on July 26!! Also when the police can no longer protect the citizens of Greensboro thank Mr Tai Jaiyeoba and they city counsel
With Democratic control of the city budget is it any surprise that the police hired to provide safety has received notice that the DEFUND POLICE POLITICIANS are in control. It’s obvious that liberals will never change until they are personally effected.
This new manager must think he is in California. He is too woke for Greensboro that I know. Where are council members representing ordinary citizens. This is what secure lifetimes politicians do when they win over and over.
What is wrong with my reply?
Unbelievable, is there no end to the madness
So Guilford County doesn’t have a crime problem? That’s news to me; every night on local news channels there is always one or more shootings! Of all things to reduce, what were they thinking? City Manager Jaiyeoba added three employees to his office. Are these employees going to protect the citizens of Guilford County? This budget in the midst of inflation is ridiculous and poses a hardship particularly on our Senior Citizens.
I have previously referred to our new City Manager as an African socialist.
I was wrong. He is an African communist.
Tai “Mugabe” Jaiyeoba is clearly implementing a far Left agenda on the people of Greensboro. He makes the City Council look like a bunch of Republicans.
FIRE TAI !
FIRE TAI !
FIRE TAI !
It’s funny that you call it a tax increase because housing and property values have gone up. We pay the same tax for McDonald’s and for Ruth’s Chris. It’s the value of the meal that makes the difference. Same thing with property. If my property is worth more it’s not a tax increase it’s inflation. Stop twisting the facts! It’s funny that conservatives have their hand out for wellfair.
It’s funnier that liberals can’t even spell welfare.
I’ll bet lamont is a biden voting black socialist liberal
Great post DTF. Been in Greensboro last 45 years. City has changed so much and in my humble opinion it has not been for the better.
Who the he$$ can afford to go to Ruth Chris
lamont maybe socialist parasite leeches like you
Allow an explanation. The problem is not the value of a home but the tax rate. If a million-dollar home were located in a city with a zero-tax rate, the owner would pay zero property tax. Property taxes are based on two elements, the value of the property and the tax rate. The most important element is the tax rate. The value of a home is based on the market, the tax rate is set by politicians, i.e., county commissioners.
Maybe it’s called a tax increase cause, y’know, you’ll be paying more taxes??
Circling the drain, at ever-higher RPMs. The next time someone shoots out the windows of our dining room, I’ll be sure to call some municipal bureaucrat for assistance. Hello? Hello?
Any questions about an anti-police mayor & city council? As crime increases, officers leave, the murder rate increases blood will be on the hands of the mayor & city council. Unfortunately this will most likely be our future leaders, the youth.
You Mayor and city council gave $900 k to Yvonne Johnson, “ Cure for Violence “ without accountability. That money should have used for our police department. Those who elected the same council back into office I hope you will not be a victim for the lack of police.
Outling speaks of support for the police department- not he shows his true colors! The write in candidate for Mayor is a better selection!
IMO these people have lost their fricking minds. The police should have been the last dept to lose funds. What a joke.
Now I dare anyone to tell me that they are not defunding GPD by omission. They will literally waste a million dollars on a worthless feel good vanity project, but won’t spare GPD a dime to do anything that will make them regionally competitive. This city is going down the tubes.
Officer Hamilton, they threw you under the bus, but it’s a bus that heading for a brick wall at 90 miles an hour.
(Hammer that article about the guy running for mayor as a write-in has disappeared. Not that the republicans can be bothered to get out and vote, but if you want to repost it, maybe a miracle will happen.)
Only a bunch of idiots would reduce the police budget during a time when violence continues to increase and we can’t find people to fill the jobs that are open. Why do we need more people in other departments??? Our representatives are missing many of the issues that will be effecting our economy and the city of Greensboro next year. These people are no different than our administration in Washington. We can certainly see what that has gotten us.
Hey City Council: Every single one of you are frauds. When the east side gets shot up this summer as usual remember your vote for this budget. I guess when the north side starts having the crime wave then you all will care. Every time you talk about how much you care about the police remember this vote. Every time you talk about take home cars remember this vote. All of you Democrats on the council (and we know that you do not declare a party for city council but we all know your liberal tendencies) are defunding the police little by little. No one wants to work here. Not even your home grown, career police chief who went to Page. They scrape the bottom of the barrel now to barely get 10 people in an academy. While you live in your little bubble people in your districts are struggling. The ones who rent will pay the price of the tax and water increases. You think the rent man is going to absorb that cost.
And for those of you who may come after me, I grew up on the south east side and my family still lives there. I did not go to Page or Grimsley. I worked hard to get the F away from that side of town. I know what it is like to need the police. That side of town will suffer. Remember that city council frauds. You could have taken that $1 million and bought some cars and paid for some real recruiting or increased salaries. But we cannot do that when we have handouts to provide for sitting city council members. Three new people in the city manager’s office? What does he have goat screwing pictures on you all?
Great post DTF. Been in Greensboro last 45 years. City has changed so much and in my humble opinion it has not been for the better.
F$$K if this transplant. He’s only here because he was being fired in Charlotte. What is WRONG with our city council
I know where the city can cut an easy $280,000 from the budget.
It’s actually closer to $300K. In addition to his stated salary, he receives some kind of supplement of around $12K (if my memory’s right). And of course, he gets a few weeks of paid vacation, so the guy’s being paid about $6,000 a week.
Now he wants to hire three new people to his office – to actually do the work.
What a parasite.
Mandate Mayor will make us all safe with no police and no gun shows so folks can arm themselves against our growing gang and violence problems. So vile and evil that our officials surround themselves and their Performance Arts Palace with armed security and police forces but are telling the rest of the city that funding for councilmembers run organizations get funded ahead of simple recruiting and retention policies for the rest of the city. Mandate Mayor and her sycophants are a great examples of woke liberal knowitallness.
I have always paid my property taxes soon after receiving the statements; NOT anymore!!!!
This year, I will wait until just prior to the deadline.
I urge you to do the same.
Drop the budget of Planning, Neighborhood Development, Transportation and stop giving out so much to so many “others”. Our crime is the worst it’s ever been and continues to increase and you cut it by $100,000? You also deny taking grants for police? Where are your real priorities? If the safety of your citizens is not your priority then you all need to go. WHAT A SAD STATEMENT BY OUR COUNCIL! I’m ready to leave this city.
Sorry for my mistake in the amount cut….It’s 1 million not $100,000.
The handouts will increase once Zack is back on council and he can self deal DGI. Guess what council? I don’t plan on being on the east side (our city manager wants a trolley to run east and west, who the hell is going to get on that?). That’s why businesses don’t want to be over there Hightower. Because of the crime. You cannot even get your side of town a grocery store.
I really want to know other than basic municipal services like trash ect what does this council do to make Greensboro better. Same people gets you the same results. I am voting for the write in. I won’t give Nancy or Justin one vote. Both of them have been in their positions for years and they suck. Why haven’t you posted the police chief position? Going to ride it out with the interim until she retires? Save another salary so it can be reassigned to the city manager’s office? Keep an interim so no big hard decisions are made in the next 6-12 months. Keep treading water until the officers left at GPD drown?
Well, the first thought is the Civil Rights Museum money had to come from somewhere, right ?? But…..but…..but….how else can we get to our goal of being the San Francisco of the east ?? If you listen closely you can hear the city council whistling their new theme song: California here we come……Right back where we started from….
Vote for write-in candidate Chris Meadows for mayor. It will be easier to vote for a write-in candidate this year. Exercise your writing or printing skills to vote for, finally, a candidate who is capable and qualified and who may get the city of Greensboro going in the right direction. At least he will not meddle like Nancy Vaughn into matters that should be left to the people who know what is going on. The city’s legal department needs attention.
I have supported the Police before and during my entire time on City Council. Sometimes even when it was not the “popular” thing to do. Feel free to ask them. As for the budget, we are INCREASING the Police Department Budget almost 6 million dollars. We are providing take home cars, incentives to sign on, higher starting salaries, the largest pay raises in recent history AND an additional 4% raise coming in May of 2023. The 8 officers that were taken off the budget are not needed at this time – should we fill all of our positions and need them at any time, I can assure you I will advocate to the utmost of my ability to find the funds. With the number of vacancies we have right now, I don’t think it prudent to add 8 more positions that we can’t fill.
We’re struggling. Why won’t you help us?
A little tax relief would be welcome. Hiking our tax bill so much is tantamount to flipping us off. Can you see why we’re disgusted with the greed of the public sector?
And when are you going to fire the African socialist who’s put forward this deeply unpopular budget? He’s clearly disastrous for our city, and he’s only been here five months.
The money you need is in the City MGr’s office. Can you say “bloated?”
How are these items you mention working out for the city? The number of vacant positions says it all. Greensboro has turned into an ultra-liberal city. What police officer would want to serve in the kind of city Greensboro as become?
Hello Marikay, are you speaking of the 5 YEAR plan to add 100 cars? Do you realize that the agency is still not competitive with other agencies? You are putting raises out for months and almost a year to May 2023. I like you Marikay but the police officers are not naïve. While the council spreads everything out for months and years other municipalities have already done these things or do these things instantaneously. Heck, even the Guilford County Commissioners approved cars for Danny Rogers IMMEDIATELY and he has been buying vehicles with police packages from all over the country due to shortages. GPD is over 100 officers short. Go ask your interim chief how many they have set for the next academy. GPD will be 150 short minimum by next year. The council seems to be able to approve handouts immediately-why the measured response of months and years for what will become a public emergency when there are not enough police to provide basic police service. And that day will come.
You have let a city manager who has been here a few months dictate the astronomical budget in a time of inflation for a city who has a horrible public reputation. All of you have been on the council for years and everything is reactionary. All of you let downtown be destroyed two years ago. I have a close friend that has had their yard used for a drive by not once, but twice in less than 24 hours where over 100 shell casings were found. Elderly friends that cannot move. I am sure it is no secret I may know a little bit about the police department. Council needs to stop pissing on people’s faces and telling them its raining.
You can fill all the positions if you will pay them enough, and leave them alone so they can do their job.
And despite all of that, we will still lag behind every other moderate to larger city in the state. Marykay, find me a decent sized agency in NC that does not have a take home car program. Dare you. Look at the other agencies who’s starting pay is already at or above $50k. We have nothing to offer to bring in new hires. We have become the dregs, the laughing stock of law enforcement.
Taking a multi-year baby steps approach to “address” an agency that is already grossly behind the rest of the state as far as pay and benefits is no better than simply overtly defunding the agency. I no longer accept lip service as “support”. Put up a motion, garner public support, do something other than pat yourself on the back for a half measure.
Let me make this understandable for everyone. GPD has about 120 vacancies now. They are graduating 13 people next month if they can all pass the state test (Unlikely). The next academy has 8 people in it, and they will not graduate until February of 2023. In the meantime, GPD will continue to lose 6 people or so per month.
EIGHT new hires for the rest of 2022!?! Ridiculous and shameful. And you took away a million dollars worth of funding, that you had already approved mind you, that could have been used to make the agency better.
NO ONE WANTS TO COME HERE BECAUSE OF COUNCIL POLITICS AND HALF MEASURES.
You just lost my vote.
We just added over 6 million dollars TO the police budget. Not sure why it is being said we took 1 million away. Our officers’ pay is being brought up to be competitive with the pay of our peer cities – I have advocated for this for years. I’m thinking there is a misunderstanding here-we didn’t take anything away from the police department budget and never have.
Go back and watch the video of the work session. Larry Davis says that the $960,000 for 8 additional officers is being removed from the GPD budget. It’s not $1 million but it’s awfully close and you voted for it.
How about as a compromise, you let Asst. Manager Davis or Police Chief Biffle have full access to those 120+ lapsed salaries? I conservatively estimate that to be about $6,000,000.00. Don’t you think they could use that unspent money to fully fund a take home car program this year instead of in 5 years? Yeah, I know it has a recurring expense in the shell game you call the City Garage, but those same 120 vacancies or more will still be there next year to pay into that black hole of a maintenance program I hear such “great” things about.
By the way, I think Winston-Salem just pumped police salaries by 10% or more. Nice job making us “competitive”. You guys have no idea what you’re doing. You have to remember that the police job market is heavily skewed toward potential employees and everyone, except Greensboro, seems to know that. So you take half steps while other cities take giant leaps. Your half measures have simply put us behind for yet another year. Enjoy those eight to ten new cops while 50 more walk out the door before the new guys even graduate.
You are slow walking raises that will still lag GPD behind because the other agencies that are better paid are doing the same thing. Explain to me why the $960,000 could not have been redirected to vehicles. Explain why the budget went up overall but that money was removed from the PD. You cannot because the meetings and slide shows tell them truth. Lip service as usual. There are a lot of large academies retiring in the next few years. Good luck replacing them along with the normal attrition.
I see you can’t be bothered to further defend your lousy decisions. Well, I still can’t be bothered to vote for you I guess.
Always remember that you get what you pay for. You want the highest quality police officers? You’re going to have to pay them. The market for officers is so competitive now in the officer’s favor. Throwing a few bucks at them and the promise of a take home car a few years from now is not going to cut it. That’s why they only have like 8 or 10 people in the next academy and the quality of the officer GPD is turning out is dropping. Literally every other agency has a better deal right now than what you are saying Greensboro will do in a few years.