City Council Candidate Questionnaire-- Angela E. Carmichael

Ms. Carmichael is running against Sandy Carmany and Trudy Wade for a district seat. 

Her responses to the questionnaire are as follows, unfiltered:

1. What do you regard as the single most important function or purpose of local government?

The most important function of local government is to represent the citizens in providing a quality of life for everyone under the local government conducive to meeting the basic needs of everyone under the local government.  Local government is supposed to represent the people, not special interests.

2. What would be your specific plan or approach to attract new employers, and retain existing employers, in the City of Greensboro?

As a small business owner I believe the city can retain existing businesses and employers in Greensboro by giving small businesses some form of incentives whether it be tax breaks or economic incentives in city services.  My plan for attracting new employers is to push for economic development and growth as it relates to retaining and bringing  more companies and businesses to our city by supporting initiatives to attract companies and businesses.  I will support economic/cash incentives to attract new companies and businesses.  This in return will create more job opportunities for our citizens.

3. What would be your specific plan to reduce crime in the City of Greensboro?

In order to reduce crime within the city of Greensboro, our police department needs to create a positive interaction with the community.  The Greensboro Police Department needs to regain its respect and honor so our citizens will be inclined to be more forthcoming in reporting individuals that commit crimes.  It takes community outreach in all areas and all the departments of our Greensboro Police Department.

4. Would you ever vote in favor of a tax increase?  No.

5. Are you going to seek or accept the endorsement of the Simkins PAC? No.

6. Are you going to seek or accept the support of TREBIC? No.

7. Do you support same-sex domestic partner benefits for city employees?

The only way I will support same sex domestic partners receiving benefits for city employees is if they work for the city along with their same sex domestic partner.

8. What would be your specific plan to clean up the Greensboro Police Department?

A plan to clean up the Greensboro Police Department involves creating plans and projects that reach the community so the police department can regain its respect and honor.  Positive interactions and open communication with the communities and neighborhoods in outreach will help improve the quality of the Greensboro Police Department.

My reaction: I thank Ms. Carmichael for her thoughtful response.  Of interest is the fact that she owns and operates a child care center in Piedmont Centre; and has two bachelor's degrees-- in Business Management and Economics.

Her response to question # 1 seems to be a tall order-- meeting everyone's basic needs, and providing their quality of life, is difficult for a municipality to do.  Is this really the single most important function of local government?  But I think her statement about special interest groups is an important one.  She seems to believe in going directly to the people, and to think about the entire community.

I liked her response to question 2 and her positions on taxes and domestic partner benefits.  I particularly admire her refusal to affiliate herself with Simkins or TREBIC.

Her responses to questions 3  and 8, on crime and the Greensboro Police Department, seem somewhat lacking.  The main premise seems to be that improving relations and outreach in the community will resolve all of our problems with crime and within the department.  It is difficult for me to see how that will be sufficient to slay either dragon.

The other candidate responses are found here.