How did City Council get to the breaking point last week where they just gave up on all their promises and assurances that they would let the voters decide on a move to 4-year staggered terms with a nonpartisan primary at the November 2024 election?
Let’s look at the timeline of a process that started in January, 2020 and came to an abrupt conclusion by a City Council power move on May 7, 2024. More than 4 years of discussion and assurances before they suddenly turned their backs on the people of Raleigh.
To be clear, it was Mayor Baldwin, Mayor Pro Tem Melton and Councilors Forte, Branch and Harrison who voted for this power move.
Councilors Black and Patton were opposed to the action. Councilor Jones was excused from the meeting but, has voiced her oppostion to this action of Council as well.
January, 2020
A group of citizens petitions the City Council.
A group of citizens including Ashton Smith and Eric Braun petitioned the City Council to create a “Study Group” to analyze possible changes to the structure and pay scale of Raleigh City Council. You can watch that here: Raleigh City Council Evening Session
October, 2020
The Study Group is created.
The Study Group was created consisting of ten people. Two of them were Ashton Smith and Eric Braun who requested the creation of the group and had been advocating for a change to 4-year terms for a long time. So, they came to the group with an agenda.
The rest of the group was made up of one former City Councilor, three former City Council candidates, one future City Council candidate, one Wake County politician and a former President and CEO of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce.
This is not what should be called a representative sample of unbiased individuals. Six of the ten are politicians who would certainly come to the group with a preference for longer terms. Two of the ten requested the creation of the group and had been advocating for a change to 4 year terms before the group was created.
December, 2020
The Study Group begins to meet.
The Study group begins to hold virtual meetings twice a month. This was during COVID restrictions. Members of the public are able to watch the meetings but not participate in the meetings with questions or concerns. Meetings were held on weekdays, during the day when fewer members of the public could watch in real time. The public could email their thoughts to the group.
October, 2021
Study Group Report is issued.
The Study Group issues their report and unsurprisingly, they recommend City Council change from 2-year to 4-year terms.
The City Council asks the city’s Office of Engagement to perform a survey of the public and gather their opinions of the Study Group’s recommendations.
January, 2022
Office of Community Engagement publishes survey results.
The Office of Community Engagement publishes the results of their survey. The results show 73% of the public is opposed to 4-year terms. There were over 1,265 responses to the survey. You can see the results here:
November, 2022
A new Council is elected.
Four new members are elected to City Council at the November, 2022 election breaking the 7 – 1 majority that had been on council for 3 years.
May, 2023
Council really wants to implement 4-year terms.
The council really wants to implement 4-year terms. They are unhappy with the previous survey results which they deride as “self-selected” and not a random sample of demographically correct participants.
Read more here: Survey Says!
At the May 16, 2023 City Council meeting several councilors express their support for letting the voters decide the issue with a ballot referendum added to the November 2024 election.
This video of the May 16, 2023 council work session is cued up to Councilor Patton expressing support for a referendum on 4-year terms.
Earlier in the meeting at 26:30 is Councilor Black expressing her support for a referendum.
And, at 31:20 you will hear Councilor Jones saying the council needs to do what the public wants and not what the council wants in order to build trust.
November, 2023
Council calls for a new Survey.
January, 2024
New survey results.
The new survey results are revealed. Even with the leading wording, a majority of respondents are opposed to 4-year terms 50.4% to 40.1%. Please note a margin over 10% is NOT CLOSE in political terms. I don’t imagine you have ever heard any politician call an election they won by over 10 points as being “close enough” to consider handing the election to their opponent. Especially when the win was an actual majority of OVER 50%.
Results here: Official Raleigh Survey
The Jan 16, 2024 meeting discussing the survey results still shows the council having consensus for a ballot referendum on term-length:
at 1:03 Councilor Patton supports a referendum
at 1:04 Councilor Forte supports a referendum
at 1:13:50 Mayor Pro Tem Melton notes council consensus for a referendum (you will hear Mayor Baldwin and Councilor Branch agree with him as well)
April, 2024
Continued discussion of election reform.
This video from April 2, 2024 has both Councilor Jones and Mayor Baldwin supporting a referendum vote put on the November 2024 ballot for 4-year terms.
Conclusion
This is a total of 6 councilors making public statements in support of using a referendum for the voters to make the decision. Every council member except Councilors Branch and Harrison is on tape over the last year voicing that support. Most voicing that support as recently as one month before they suddenly changed course and turned their backs on the promise they made to the voters. And, they did so without any explanation for what caused them to abandon their firmly stated positions.
We are at a loss to explain their actions.
And that’s why we have launched a petition drive to have this measure put on the November ballot.
Click Here to Get the Petition Details
Livable Raleigh Editorial Team
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