Upcoming Raleigh Events
CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
City Council Pre-Budget Work Session
City Council Pre-Budget Work Session
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting: 3901 Stratford Ct.
Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting: 3901 Stratford Ct.
Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting: 319 Heck Street (Z-39-25)
Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting: 319 Heck Street (Z-39-25)
Second Community meeting to reactivate the South CAC
Second Community meeting to reactivate the South CAC
Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting: 5621 & 5615 Kyle Drive
Neighborhood Rezoning Meeting: 5621 & 5615 Kyle Drive
Read up on our latest news…
As if things aren’t already bad enough for trees in Raleigh
On April 5, 2021, House Bill 496: Property Owners’ Rights/Tree Ordinances was filed in the House of the NC General Assembly. On May 11 it was passed by the House 72-43 and sent to the Senate on May 12. It was subsequently sent to the Senate Committee Rules and...
Happy Pride Month in Raleigh? No Non-Discrimination Ordinance despite Campaign Pledges!
It's LGBTQ Pride Month. But, in Raleigh, we don't have as much to celebrate as we should have. As LGBTQ Pride Month comes to a close, we recall in January 2021 we reported about the lack of progress of the Raleigh City Council in enacting non-discrimination...
Stewart’s self-praise contradicts her endlessly anti-environmental votes
Mayor Pro Tem Nicole Stewart began a recent self-promotional blog by asking how we can “work together to build housing that is both good for our people and better for the environment?” Based on Stewart's voting record, she doesn't know the answer. In fact, Raleigh...
Will Patrick Buffkin be able to get off the Merry-Go-Round he stepped onto with his “Role Model” comments?
Historic Chavis Park Carousel It's Patrick Buffkin who needs a role model - like Carmen Cauthen Carmen Cauthen responds to the Councilor's "Role Model" comments? So today was about the dedication of the new John Chavis Park. What many of you may not know is that this...
Mary-Ann Baldwin seems confused
Mary-Ann Baldwin's campaign sent out a recent fund-raising email and she and her campaign team seem very confused. If her grasp on reality is this fragile, can you trust her to run the City of Raleigh? Here are excerpts from her campaign email:Those of you who are...
Patrick Buffkin Wants Taxpayers to Buy Him a Bridge to Wegmans
Longtime Raleigh resident Larry Helfant spoke at Livable Raleigh's June 14 Forum on Tax Increment Grants. His remarks appear below. As most people know, the Midtown area has seen explosive growth over the last ten years, especially in the Saint Albans/Wake Forest Road...
June 15, 2021 City Council Work Session and Afternoon Session
Wake Bus Rapid Transit – Station Design, Public Art, Branding, Public Engagement Presentation Downtown Raleigh Alliance – Public Realm Study Presented plans and asked for additional resource – referred to Economic Development & Innovation Committee Report and...
Baldwin implements Phase IV of her “Revolutionary” citizen engagement system and it’s a doozy!
UPDATE - Last week we warned you to stay tuned for Phase IV and within days it has arrived. Phase IV follows up hot on the heels of the implementation of Phase III. We are republishing the entire piece, which now includes Phase IV, in case you missed the original....
Mary-Ann Baldwin implements Phase III of her “Revolutionary” citizen engagement system
PHASE I You may recall Phase I when Baldwin and her council majority abolished Citizen Advisory Councils, CACs, Raleigh's nearly 50-year-old formal method for two-way communications between citizens and their government. This first phase occurred on Feb 4, 2020, in...
Raleigh City Council’s Slow-Moving Coup
At their June 8 work session, the Raleigh City Council majority announced a self-serving and unprecedented power grab designed to keep themselves in office for an extra year. With NO public engagement and NO public vote, they unilaterally announced several decisions...
Time & Money spent, but NO new Community Engagement
A year ago in early June, Mickey Fearn signed a $72,000 10-month contract with the City of Raleigh. The contract called for designing new community engagement functions to replace Raleigh's CACs (Citizen Advisory Councils) during Phase 2. That should have happened by...
Raleigh’s budget priorities should not include tax giveaways to developers
Long-time Raleigh resident Terry Snyder shared these remarks as part of the City's budget hearing. I am opposed to the City Budget FY22 because many of the funding priorities do not match the greatest needs of our diverse community. First and most important is...
Mayor Baldwin dismisses Raleigh’s Black community again and again
Raleigh citizens should not be surprised by Mayor Baldwin’s bewilderment about “Is North Carolina losing interest in racial justice and equity?”. (N&O Editorial, May 27, 2021) An excerpt from the editorial is here. The full piece is available at the link above:...
Enloe HS students harassed by protesters – a parent speaks out
Mayor Baldwin has made a complete mess when it comes to how Raleigh Police should respond to protesters. We’ve seen peaceful protesters arrested. Meanwhile, we have scenes like this one — described in a note to us from parent Amy Lee — where the RPD stands back,...
City Council Wants to Throw Your Tax Money Down the Drain – Let Them Know You Object
It’s budget season for Raleigh City Council and one line item has us scratching our heads: $190K for two new Community Engagement positions. Are we expecting two paid bureaucrats to do the work that dozens/hundreds of citizen volunteers used to do for free through...
Neighbors ‘shocked’ as Nicole Stewart justifies legalizing noxious industrial use next to their homes.
Trisha Posey was shocked when Councilor Nicole Stewart justified continuing and legalizing a noxious industrial activity next to her neighborhood. Tryon Woods HOA President Trisha Posey shared her letter to Council with Livable Raleigh: Dear Ms. Stewart, I watched...
News from INDYweek: TIGs & ‘Best of the Triangle’ poll
Hello from Livable Raleigh. We have news! Raleigh's budget a TIGgy Bank? City Council went ahead and adopted its ill-conceived “Tax-Increment Grant” (TIG) policy. But Livable Raleigh's efforts to expose what’s wrong with their scheme are bearing fruit.For...
Raleigh’s Burning Question: When is the Next City Council Election?
A question that has been weighing on the minds of many Raleigh citizens is “When will the next city council election be held: October 2021 or March 2022?” This question was first raised last February, when the U.S. Census Bureau announced it was unable to release the...
Council is playing a Shell Game with your tax money and a TIG. Can you find the benefit?
On May 12th, INDYWeek published an editorial critical of City Council's new Tax Increment Grant (TIG) policy. Here are some excerpts from the piece: "While the TIG is being sold as an economic development tool that will secure public benefits for Raleigh residents,...
Budget Busting Bus Shelters
At-Large Councilor Melton is excited to spend an extra $720,000 on designer bus shelters. Bus rider Lenora Southerland just wants a place to sit while she waits. Instead of moving quickly to add bus benches and shelters at more than 1,000 bus stops with neither,...