When you go to the polls to vote this year, you may notice something missing from your ballot. You were supposed to be able to vote on whether Raleigh City Council terms should be changed from two-year to four-year terms. But, Council Members Melton and Forte took that choice away from you.
Vote for Livable Raleigh as Best Local Activist Group in the Triangle
How is it that the pre-determined outcome of the re-location of the Red Hat Amphitheater took the City Council by surprise and left them with little to no time for public engagement or a deeper discussion of alternatives for where or how the venue could be kept downtown without closing South St? When you realize councilors Melton and Branch are both liaisons to the Convention Center and it was their JOB to know what was going on. Are they liaisons or just lazy?
A large majority of what the City Councilors are responsible for are decisions related to development. These are the candidates that the development industry is supporting. It’s up to you to decide how you want to factor this information into your voting decision.
Raleigh’s historic overlay districts are special treasures of our City. They comprise only one percent of Raleigh’s land area, but their impact is much larger. We do not need to destroy them to solve our housing shortage. We should instead preserve these treasures for our citizens, our visitors, our children, and our grandchildren.