A long-time High Point businessman has become the face of a new political group that aims to shake up the High Point City Council. Sanders Dallas III, who actually lives in Winston-Salem, but whose family has for decades had business connections here, wants Comeback High Point and the candidates it supports to put new faces on City Council and in the mayor’s post.

The group, according to Dallas, wants to correct what it sees as “High Point’s lagging economic performance” and to unseat a City Council that members of the group see responsible for it. Such ambitions will make for an interesting few months until the Nov. 2 municipal election.

Speaking to the Enterprise recently, Dallas noted the city has numerous vacant buildings, contending that is evidence of an ailing city economy that elected leaders have allowed to happen. He said the city needs the business experience that candidates and members of his group offer.

We have no argument with the sentiment that business experience is a huge plus for a mayor or someone sitting in a City Council seat. But we do think an opposition candidate will have a hard time proving that the current City Council (1) has little business experience and (2) has created a bad economic climate in High Point. Yes, there are vacant buildings around, but economic development numbers just don’t indicate neglect by City Council in spurring business and industrial development.

However, there is room to argue that the city needs to review its approach to economic development and to assess whether changes in its philosophy are needed. Perhaps, it can be argued that the city has put too much economic development emphasis on attracting business, industry and housing to north High Point and beyond and not enough on redevelopment and residential in-fill of areas such as south High Point and the central downtown area.

Any credible challenger – whether part of Dallas’ group or not – must specifically identify an incumbent’s failings and then lay out his or her own plans for how the job should be done, and then convince voters. Election Day is just three months away.