Another Missed Opportunity for Community Engagement

Thanks for responding to my request for a budget presentation at our March CAC meeting. I was hoping that the response would have come from either the Budget or Finance Directors but I do appreciate the feedback from the City Manager’s Office.

I am disappointed in the response to delay my request to have the Budget and Finance Departments present the upcoming budget status to our CAC in late March. The objective was to help residents obtain a better understanding of the current budget cycle while the discussions for the upcoming budget were in progress, not after the budget was accepted as suggested.

I think there are a few things to point out. I was part of the community engagement efforts for this year and last year’s budget cycle. Community response was minimal, at least in the sessions that I attended. While I know that there will be a public hearing prior to budget approval, that discussion was limited to one minute last year since there were so many residents that wanted to have their voices heard. I am hoping that we do not have a repeat of that late, limited public hearing opportunity again this year.

I made this same request last year at this time and received the same response.

I was hoping that the two City Departments would present a similar combined presentation, as they did at the Council Retreat, to limit the amount of preparation needed. The presentation was unique and went far beyond the sessions that were offered in earlier community engagement offerings. I also offered virtual participation to ease the burden on staff. The intent was to have a discussion with residents in their respective communities to learn about their needs and expectations, while learning about the fiscal status of the City of Raleigh, now and in the near future.

CACs are the perfect forum for these budget discussions now because they will broadcast the presentation to a wider audience than the sessions that were offered earlier in the year. Presentations don’t need a predetermined agenda or survey, just honest dialogue between residents and City staff. Community Engagement is one of the core objectives of CACs, acting as a medium for information between residents, staff and City Administration. I don’t know of any other community group that can offer those same capabilities.

One final point – You don’t have to ask the public what their number one priority is right now. It is not affordable housing. It is survival to keep a roof over their heads due to everyday inflated costs of housing, energy, taxes and everyday expenses. Please keep this in mind as you determine the tax impacts of the proposed budget on the residents of Raleigh.

While we won’t have the opportunity to effectively interact with Budget and Finance before budget acceptance, I hope that we can undertake more public involvement to make this happen in March 2026.

Regretfully,
Larry Helfant
Chairman, Midtown CAC

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