Improve relations between city and county officials. Build a much-debated cargo hub at Piedmont Triad International Airport. There is surprising unanimity between Greensboro's current mayor and his predecessors when they talk about what the community needs to ensure a bright, prosperous future. Mayor Keith Holliday and forerunners Carolyn Allen, John Forbis and Jim Melvin agree the keys include a successful Greensboro Coliseum, a completed Randleman Reservoir and a federally approved FedEx cargo hub. Holliday noted the irony that education played so prominent a role in the discussion.
City government has no authority over the schools.
They are run by the county Board of Education, an independently elected body, and funded by the county Board of Commissioners. The wide-ranging roundtable was convened to talk about Greensboro's future at a time when many believe the city is nearing a crucial crossroads. Illness prevented former mayors Carson Bain and Vic Nussbaum from taking part, and former mayor Jack Elam was absent because of a family illness. But the four who did participate represented a broad spectrum of political viewpoints. A recent consultant's study, the McKinsey Report, has galvanized discussion about Greensboro's uncertain future, highlighting such crucial issues as the community's perceived lack of direction.