🧵 In Today’s Edition

  1. A look at the coming Greensboro City Council races.
  2. The Agenda
(Photo: Courtesy of the City of Greensboro)

Greensboro City Council Races Set

Filing ended Friday for the Greensboro City Council, setting the races for the October 7 primary and November 4 general election.

This year’s election will be transformative, with several long-serving council members choosing not to run again and the potential for more than half the sitting city council to turn over at once. That’s drawn a considerable number of new faces looking to give the council new blood as well as some previous council members who argue their experience can be stabilizing at a critical time for city government.

The Thread will be profiling each of these candidates in the coming months.

Mayor:

After a decade as Mayor, Nancy Vaughan isn’t running again this year. Former Mayor Robbie Perkins was the first to announce, with Mayor Pro Tem Marikay Abuzuaiter following suit. Their filings surprised no one. The other two candidates may.

Mark Cummings ran for mayor in 2022, but didn’t make it out of the primary. A former Guilford County District Court Judge, Cummings resigned in 2020 amid charges he allowed court documents to be falsified, changed a bond set by a higher court, filed to run for office in a district where he did not live, and forced prosecutors to dismiss charges. Cummings denied those allegations but agreed to never run for state judicial office again.

Akir Khan is board chair of the Out of the Garden project, which battles child hunger in the Piedmont. He’s the past chair of the Piedmont Interfaith Council, a former adjunct instructor at High Point University, and a former executive at aviation company Jet It. He was one of more than 40 people who applied to finish the unexpired term of at-large Council Member Yvonne Johnson, who died last year.

At Large:

Ten people filed to run at-large, a mix of well-known names and political newcomers.

They are: Jamilla Pinder, T. Dianne Bellamy-Small, Richard Beard, LaToya Gathers, Hugh Holston, Carla Franklin, Denise Roth, Michael McKinney, Irving Allen, and Samuel Hawkins.

Pinder has been serving on council at-large since February, when she was appointed after Johnson’s death. Holston is running to retain his current at-large seat.

Bellamy-Small is a former five-term Greensboro City Council member who now serves on the Guilford County Board of Education.

Roth is a former Greensboro City Manager who left that role in 2014 to become Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration under former President Barack Obama.

District 1:

Crystal Black is challenging incumbent Council Member Sharon Hightower.

Together, Black and Hightower founded the city’s Ad-hoc Committee on African American Disparities. Black is also co-founder of the Love Your Block clean up and safety initiative and has served on the city’s Solid Waste and Sustainability Commissions.

District 2:

With current Council Member Goldie Wells deciding not to run again, five candidates filed for the District 2 seat.

They are: Former City Council member Jim Kee, Monica Walker, Cecile Crawford, Anthony Wesley, and Irish Good.

District 3:

Incumbent City Council member Zack Matheny faces challengers April Parker and Mohamed Bashir.

Matheny has never lost a race, but this term he has faced criticism for his dual roles as council member and President and CEO of Downtown Greensboro Inc. That recently escalated into a probe by the State Board of Investigation. Matheny says he welcomes it, as he had nothing to hide.

District 4:

With long-time Council Member Nancy Hoffmann stepping down, Adam Marshall, Nicky Smith, and Steve Ignac are vying for the seat.

District 5:

Incumbent Council member Tammi Thurm will face a challenge from Jeanette Davidson-Mayer.

— Joe Killian

Thanks for reading The Thread, a 3x week newsletter written by Greensboro editor Joe Killian and reporters Sayaka Matsuoka and Gale Melcher. Reach us with tips or ideas at greensboro@theassemblync.com.


This week, local boards across Guilford County will make decisions related to spending, education, zoning, and more. Stay in the loop and check out the highlights from their agendas below.

City of Greensboro

Planning and Zoning Commission meeting
Monday, July 21 at 5:30 p.m. @ 300 W. Washington St. in the Katie Dorsett Council Chamber

The commission has 14 zoning public hearings on its docket, including:

  • A rezoning for properties at Marshall Smith Road from county to city, with the condition that a maximum of 200 residential units can be built on the property.
  • 3000 W. Market Street is being rezoned from single-family to multi-family, with the condition of 10 units max.
  • A request on behalf of Ronald C. Carlock, Jr. of Land Port Investments, LLC and Carroll Industrial Development US, LLC for properties at Knox Road and Marley Drive from county to city. The properties are designated for light industrial projects.

Guilford County 

Guilford County Board of Education
Tuesday, July 22 at 5:45 p.m. @ Guilford County Schools at 712 N. Eugene St. in the board room

The board’s agenda includes:

  • A contract with Rose Paving for the Andrews High School Paving project.
  • A public hearing on the naming of the new visual and performing arts elementary school located at 2200 Randall Street.
  • Revising the academic calendar for Early College at Guilford College, Greensboro College Middle College, and Middle College at UNCG for spring break, which will occur the week of March 9.

City of High Point

City Council meeting
Monday, July 21 at 5:30 p.m. @ 211 S. Hamilton St.

The meeting includes a public comment period, and the council will decide on a number of items:

  • A contract with Community Housing Solutions for $100,000 for Operation Inasmuch, a nonprofit organization training churches and their congregants to help serve people in need.
  • Several purchases of freightliners and trucks to replace old vehicles.
  • A contract with Housing Consultants Group for $99,700 to administer an affordable housing program.

Links to local board meetings and agendas:

Guilford County – Board of Commissioners

Guilford County – Board of Education

Greensboro – City Council

Greensboro – City Calendar

High Point – City Council

— Gale Melcher

Fly Around Fest is hosting this music festival to celebrate Appalachia’s natural beauty and rich musical traditions while raising funds to support the recovery from the historic floods from Hurricane Helene on Aug. 1 & 2.

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