Do claims made about Downtown South and a possible TIG stand up to scrutiny?
A recent article about a possible Tax Incentive Grant, or TIG, for Downtown South developer John Kane included several claims. Let's examine them to see if they measure up to a reality check. The article is here Raleigh City Council Considers a Program to Save...
Patrick Buffkin – Withheld Videos Revealed
District A Councilor, Patrick Buffkin, has held three virtual Town Hall meetings since the pandemic has shut down in-person gatherings. The first was April 28, 2020. The second on Sept 29, 2020. And, the most recent was Feb 11, 2021. All other councilors who have...
The NC Justice Center Opposes a TIG for Private Development
The NC Justice Center has written to the Wake County Commissioners and the Raleigh City Council expressing their concerns about the possibility of approving a Tax Increment Grant for the Downtown South project especially in this current environment of a pandemic and...
A taxpayer giveaway for a stadium right now is indefensible
For those who want to learn more about TIGs, please join Livable Raleigh this Saturday at 10am for a free community conversation with a panel of experts.
You can register at bit.ly/TIG-forum
Study Group on Council Terms/ Salaries and Voter Engagement/ Participation
City Council created a study group to explore if and how the council’s structure should change. That could include increasing terms from two to four years, upping council members’ pay (currently $17,412 for what’s considered a part-time job), and expanding the...
Can Raleigh Become a Leader in Addressing Climate Change?
Linda Watson, a former member of Raleigh's Environmental Advisory Board, sent the following letter to the members of the Growth and Natural Resources Committee and the full City Council prior to the 1/26/21 GNR committee meeting. She points out Raleigh's climate goals...
This Council abused its white privilege to suppress all Black CAC voices
One year ago, this Council used the excuse of ‘too much white CAC privilege’ to justify and conceal their own white privileged suppression of all Black CAC voices.
Feb. 4: One Year Today Since the CACs Were Gutted by Mayor Baldwin’s Council, and Still No Replacement In Sight
Today, February 4, is exactly one year since Mayor Baldwin and her City Council mates voted to gut the 18 Citizens Advisory Councils, leaving Raleigh without any functioning system for bringing citizens into city government. You may recall that Baldwin launched...
Hey Raleigh: You Could Lead … Follow … Or, Get Out of the Way.
When Mary-Ann Baldwin was a candidate for mayor, she had this to say about Durham: "Durham’s got it going on. Every time I go to Durham, I’m like, wow, this is happening. And that is leadership, plain and simple. [Durham Mayor] Steve Schewel has thrown down the...
Warning: Kane Realty’s tax “ask” for “Downtown South” project could cost us mere taxpayers $450 million — or more
For all the attention it's getting in the press -- which is none -- you might think that Kane Realty has given up trying to avoid paying property taxes on the so-called Downtown South Project. In fact, however, Kane's man Bonner Gaylord, the former Raleigh City...