Upcoming Raleigh Events
CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
Transportation and Transit Committee Meeting
Transportation and Transit Committee Meeting
City Council Pre-Budget Work Session
City Council Pre-Budget Work Session
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
SW Raleigh Community Engagement (SWRCE) Meeting
SW Raleigh Community Engagement (SWRCE) Meeting
In-Person Water Billing Help Session
In-Person Water Billing Help Session
District D Neighborhood Alliance (DDNA) meeting
District D Neighborhood Alliance (DDNA) meeting
Councilor Jones District E Book Club
Councilor Jones District E Book Club
In-Person Water Billing Help Session
In-Person Water Billing Help Session
Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting: 3621 & 3703 Page Road
Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting: 3621 & 3703 Page Road
Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting: 1523 Crest Road
Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting: 1523 Crest Road
Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting: 319 Heck Street
Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting: 319 Heck Street
Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting: 5925 Glenwood Avenue
Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting: 5925 Glenwood Avenue
In-Person Water Billing Help Session
In-Person Water Billing Help Session
Raleigh Commission for Persons with Disabilities Meeting
Raleigh Commission for Persons with Disabilities Meeting
Read up on our latest news…
Helping Hands – we need your hands too!
Join with us and these City Council candidates to help us get 5,000 signatures on the Election Reform Petition. Hold City Council to their promise and let the voters decide.
May 14 City Council Meetings
Highlights from May 14 work session and public comments session
Portland Measures Missing Middle for Success
Raleigh’s missing middle rules promote profitability, but they fail at every other community goal: affordability, neighborhood compatibility, walkability, accessibility and equity. By excluding community goals, Raleigh’s missing middle rules have created a situation where the missing middle infill being built is very big, very unaffordable, incompatible with its surroundings and more often than not, demolishes rather than increases Raleigh’s supply of affordable dwellings.
Election Reform Timeline
Six councilors made public statements in support of using a referendum for the voters to make the decision on election reform over more than a year. 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.
City Council broke their promise to you!
At their May 7 meeting, Council reneged on their PROMISE that they would put a proposal for four-year terms with a nonpartisan primary on the November ballot for the voters to decide. Instead, all on their own, they unilaterally approved staggered four-year terms with a primary beginning in 2026. The councilors arrogantly noted that if citizens didn’t like their backtracking on their commitment, they could “just go collect 5,000 signatures” on a petition within 30 days and force the council to keep their promise of placing the issue on the ballot as a referendum in November.
May 7, 2024 City Council Meetings
Highlights from May 7 Afternoon and Evening council meetings.
Fair compensation for RPD
It was embarrassing to listen to both Fire and RPD ask for additional compensation just to stay competitive with neighboring communities. Raleigh has the best training facilities in the area but we suffer from retaining personnel because, although we are the Capital City, we don’t provide fair compensation or benefits.
Best of Wake County 2024
INDY Week Readers Name Livable Raleigh Best Local Activist Group – Wake County – 2024. Our sincere thanks to everyone who participated in the event. We pledge to continue bringing you the kind of local activism you appreciate.
Don’t Put the Cart Before the Horse
On May 7th, Council will hear from the public about the idea of creating a self-taxing Municipal Services District (MSD) to improve safety, cleanliness and growth in the corridor. Our opinion is that adopting an MSD first puts the cart before the horse. Livable Raleigh recommends that Council follow the precedent of Raleigh’s existing MSDs: Begin by funding and adopting a strong Area Plan vision supported by all stakeholders to guide Council rezonings and investments. Then decide if an MSD is needed to manage safety, cleanliness and the adopted Area Plan vision.
Cease and Desist?
Livable Raleigh has received a “Cease and Desist” letter from lawyers representing Sustainable Raleigh, the new group started by former one-term City Council member David Knight. Ouch! We hope Sustainable Raleigh will “Cease and Desist” making false accusations against us.
Follow the Guidance Provided by the Planning Commission and Vote NO on Z-72-22
Shortly, you will be asked to vote on a Zoning Request involving removal of property from an established Historic District. Z-72-22 requests removal of a lot from the Prince Hall Historic District in order to circumvent guidance and regulations established in State Statute and the City of Raleigh Unified Development Ordinance. Z-72-22 represents the piecemeal nibbling away at protections offered to our culture and heritage for profit.
At-Large Voting — the Oldest Trick in The Book
At-Large block voting has been called the oldest trick in the book. Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg cited this method as a preeminent second-generation way to deny equal opportunity for minority voters and candidates. Congress has banned At-Large voting for all federal elections. It’s been discarded by most states. No voting method has been subject to more litigation for its discriminatory impact on local elections. Yet, while the covers are off the discriminatory impact and intent of At-Large voting, it persists in hundreds of local jurisdictions.
From Wasteland to Wonder
The way we currently manage the suburban and urban landscape is creating a wasteland and harming the well-being of Earth. Fortunately, we have an alternative path: We can work with natural systems instead of working against them. By doing so, we can help heal Earth.
Dear Ned
When elections finally occurred in 2022, Knight was ousted by the voters, and 4 new members of Council were elected, each with Livable Raleigh’s support.
April 16 City Council Meeting
Highlights Work session was not on YouTube for the first 20 minutes or so for some reason. Councilors Black and Branch not present for work session. Councilor Branch not present for afternoon session. Proposed new Public Private Partnership policy will focus on...
This case will come to you in National Historic Preservation Month
Preservation provides context to understand our present and creates a reference library for our use as we plan for the future.
Raleigh Police Officers demand higher pay
We know the men and woman of RPD have met their goals. Now they just want alignment with their peers’ salaries. A 15% across the board raise for all officers would put their salaries in alignment with their peers.
April 8 and 9 City Council Meetings
Highlights from April 8 Budget work session, April 9 Afternoon Work Session, and April 9 Evening Public Comments Session
Your tax dollars NOT at work
Seven years ago (2017) the citizens of Raleigh overwhelmingly approved a $206 million transportation bond to make improvements to 16 roads. How are those projects coming along now that seven years have gone by? Why aren’t Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin and the rest of Council providing any oversight to get our much needed road improvements done?
Mine Creek Update – Ironwood Trail Survives – For Now!
Thank you to all who supported our efforts in protecting our community and saving the historic Ironwood Tail. This is a testament as to what community activism can do; a lesson that sometimes-real people do win; people with no deep pockets, no political clout. What is next? Our community feels we are safe, for now. Homeowners are now making plans to renovate their homes and decks instead of preparing to move. Although celebrating our win, a cloud of doubt still lingers. It is our hope that this vote will secure our future but only time will tell.