...days since Raleigh City Council defunded Citizen Advisory Councils (CACs) with NO REPLACEMENT.
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Homelessness has doubled under Mayor Baldwin
The past council FAILED to protect our most vulnerable citizens in their efforts to give the developers free reign in their rezoning requests. Homelessness has DOUBLED in the last 2 years under the mayor’s leadership. We will be a better city when we take all of our residents into consideration and not just the wealthy donors that support the mayor. You councilors hold the power now and Raleigh is ready to see you get to work!
Health Clinic Buffer Zones are needed NOW!
A Woman’s choice has been a good, quiet neighbor to us. They have always dealt with protestors but in recent months these protests have grown in size, volume and hostility, frequently blocking the sidewalk on my street, Myron Drive, and intimidating neighbors who are only looking to jog or push a stroller past. We ask Mayor Baldwin and City Council to please consider buffer zones, as Charlotte and Asheville have, to protect patients and neighbors while still allowing protestors their right to demonstrate at a distance.
Glenwood South can control the noise & still thrive
This city has let the area get wild and out of control. A factor is the extremely loud music being played which can be heard blocks away and in the homes of residents. My neighbor and I came to the council 2 years ago and we got a lot of nice talk but no action. Officers have told me the current noise control system is as frustrating for them as it is for residents.
Is anyone listening?
I would also like to add that during the past few meetings I have attended, I have watched each one of the council members, present and the old, play on their phones, talk amongst themselves while people are speaking. The rules of decorum should also apply to you. When we are speaking to you, you should pay attention to us. We do pay part of your salary.
Proposals to address Raleigh’s housing crisis
I urge you, as Raleigh’s new city council, to aggressively address Raleigh’s housing crisis. I highly recommend that this City Council genuinely put Raleigh’s residents’ interests above those of the developers.
Re-engaging with the community BOTH immediately and long-term.
Livable Raleigh supports today’s proposal for community engagement put forward by Councilors Jones and Harrison. You don’t have to wait for your council retreat at the end of January where you will be discussing your longer-term solutions, you could act tonight to give CACs access to community centers with a simple motion and a vote directing staff to make it happen.
A learning curve for ALL councilors
Congratulations to the new members of the council. I am hoping your election will lead to a new climate of openness and citizen cooperation from this new council, and not just from the new members.
Single-Family Zoning is not Exclusionary nor is it Discriminatory
Missing-Middle development grants serious money-making potential to developers, while single-family neighborhoods get nothing in return. Developers need to give something back, and the previous City Councilors — especially those who were re-elected, should logically support a strong inclusionary ordinance.
City Council Meeting Highlights — December 6, 2022
HIGHLIGHTS Corey Branch will be Mayor Pro Tem for the first year and Jonathan Melton will be Mayor Pro Tem for the second year. Council Committee assignments will be announced either at December 13 work session or in January. Councilors asked to submit preferences to...
Livable Raleigh’s proposal for renewed engagement
With the election of four new Councilors, Raleigh voters have made it clear that restoring and improving city support for the public’s involvement in community affairs is a top priority. After three years, the voters know that waiting for a perfect solution is unrealistic and will only further delay city support for the essential and imperfect community conversations that are the foundation of an informed democracy. It is with this sense of purpose that the Livable Raleigh Advisory Committee offers six policy-level proposals for quick adoption. Our hope is that these proposals will have several positive effects:
Raleigh’s voters responded to the challenge
In May of 2022 we ran a piece challenging voters to restore democracy to the City of Raleigh by dedicating the November election to restoring former Mayor Clarence Lightner's vision for community engagement in Raleigh. Well, the voters responded to our challenge in...
Recycling do’s and don’ts
In one of the wealthiest cities in the wealthiest country in the world, we have neither the personal ethics nor the appropriate infrastructure and educational, monitoring and enforcement efforts to responsibly manage the enormous detritus of our privileged daily lives. Our recycling efforts are on the level of a third world country. And, yes, I realize that is a derogatory term. We deserve it.
Can Free Bus Fares Fix Raleigh’s Broken System?
Council’s upcoming decision to either keep or eliminate Raleigh’s COVID-era free bus fares has been framed as making an important statement about Raleigh’s commitment to high quality and equitable bus service. Maybe so, but if you listen to the Raleigh Transit Authority’s Nov 10 deliberations on the topic, you might conclude that reinstating fees will have little impact on a system that is in decline and without an effective plan to provide high quality and equitable transit services in post-COVID Raleigh.
In Praise of outgoing Councilor David Cox
David Cox’s service to Raleigh will long live as an example for those that follow him for his research, his thoughtful synthesis, and his cogent and straight-forward statement of principled representation.
Your Donations of Time, Treasure, and Talent Worked!
Because of supporters and volunteers like you, we made a difference in Raleigh’s 2022 City Council elections. Together we helped elect four new councilors who value transparency, engagement, and equity. We are hopeful they will be part of making Raleigh livable for all. But there’s more work to be done and Livable Raleigh needs your help.
Yolanda Taylor replies to being labeled a dissenter by the media
Well, as a labeled dissenter of the Mayor of Raleigh by a newspaper, I would like to congratulate the grassroots groups that worked hard to ensure a check in power on the way Raleigh grows going forward. It was disheartening to see journalists and certain nonprofit groups describe the fight to be included in development decisions as “anti-growth.” These anti-democratic statements came often from ostensibly progressive / liberal people who even called those demanding affordable housing NIMBYs.
City Council Meeting Highlights — November 15, 2022
HIGHLIGHTS Work Session – Apparently the Office of Community Engagement spends a lot of time engaging with City staff and people who serve on Boards and Commissions – not necessarily with the actual larger community. They also spend a lot of resource on branding....
A Retrospective on The Raleigh City Council Election
The election is over and people have spoken. Baldwin and Council have forced unpopular and failed policies on Raleigh. With very few financial resources, challengers pushed back and have taken back Council despite incumbents and candidates endorsed by, and heavily financed by, wealthy developers and realtors.
With this win, let the citizens of Raleigh look forward to better days as well as to more changes in 2024.
Livable Raleigh’s response to the N&O, how we view the election results
After Raleigh’s City Council election was completed, Ned Barnett, Associate Opinion Editor, The News & Observer, contacted us to ask how we saw the results and what we expect from the next City Council. Here is our response:
