Council is playing a Shell Game with your tax money and a TIG. Can you find the benefit?
On May 12th, INDYWeek published an editorial critical of City Council's new Tax Increment Grant (TIG) policy. Here are some excerpts from the piece: "While the TIG is being sold as an economic development tool that will secure public benefits for Raleigh residents,...
Budget Busting Bus Shelters
At-Large Councilor Melton is excited to spend an extra $720,000 on designer bus shelters. Bus rider Lenora Southerland just wants a place to sit while she waits. Instead of moving quickly to add bus benches and shelters at more than 1,000 bus stops with neither,...
Predatory Towing in Raleigh
Imagine waking up in bed one morning, walking outside to your car to start your day, only to find that your car is gone, vanished; it’s not in front of your home where you parked it last evening. This may sound like an unlikely scenario to many Raleigh residents, but...
Will Council Reward this Illegal Industrial Attack on our Environment and Neighborhoods?
Trisha Posey is concerned that Council may legalize this illegal industrial wasteland next to her neighborhood. Trisha Posey holds an MBA from Campbell University, serves as the association President for her community, and has served 20+ years in public education with...
Another Test of Council’s Anti-Environmental Agenda
A resident asks for Open and Fair Rezoning Governance. Tom Kwak is a Raleigh resident concerned with the future environmental health of our City and especially the potential to disregard environmental impacts as Raleigh navigates through its growing pains. He...
TIGs Feeding Off Raleigh Taxpayers
Tax Increment Grants — TIGs for developers — are about to be turned into a perpetual slush fund, with Baldwin’s Council handing out the goodies and Raleigh taxpayers saddled with long-term debt.
Racing toward a TIG
Livable Raleigh Chair Susan Maruyama sent the following email to Councilor Melton, chair of the Economic Development & Innovation Committee. The EDI Committee met on April 27 to further discuss the Tax Increment Grant (TIG) Policy. Hello Councilor Melton, I just...
At-Large Councilor Melton doesn’t think Citizen Engagement needs to be delivered in a year.
At Raleigh City Council's retreat, March 12-13, At-Large Councilor Jonathan Melton had this to say when categorizing priorities into two sets: "I think community engagement can move into the bottom set. I don't know that we need a one year deliverable in community...
City Council Appears to Listen
During the Public Comment session of the City Council meeting on April 22, both Susan Maruyama and Chantelle Miles addressed the recent N&O article concerning the lack of benches at 70% of Raleigh bus stops. They asked the council to show compassion to...
Raleigh Affordable Housing: a Step in the Right Direction
The News & Observer reported on April 15 that the City of Raleigh has purchased almost 4 acres of land for future affordable housing. The land is along New Bern Avenue where the City is planning a future bus rapid transit line. This is a perfect location for more...