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.
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.
Seeking Redemption as Baldwin Fades
Come November, Raleigh voters may be willing to chalk up the vote to sack CACs as a bad rookie error. More telling will be if voters accept candid apologies for subverting our voting rights. If so, voters may be willing to give Branch, Forte or Melton another chance in office.
City Council should set a tax rate that is revenue neutral
As both a real estate appraiser and a broker, I have been fielding a lot of questions from friends and clients who are very worried about how much higher their property taxes might become. There are people in Wake County who can absorb a higher tax rate, but here are a lot of folks who will not be able to do so.
Election Reforms for Raleigh City Council
Livable Raleigh believes the City Council should do what the people told them they want. But, if they are hell-bent on moving to four-year terms despite the views of the people, it should ONLY be done if they implement a nonpartisan primary to go with it, thus getting rid of the current “plurality” election format and ensuring we elect the members of City Council by majority vote.
Meaningful support required before massive upzoning
I think there is a lot of good we can do here. But, I also do want to take abundant caution when it comes to the upzoning pieces.
New Bern Ave Public Hearing Comments
Several members of the public spoke in opposition to the mass upzoning proposed for New Bern Ave through the city-initiated case Z-92-22. We are publishing a selection of those comments made by speakers who have given us permission to print their comments.
CACs Are Back, We’re Taking Down the Clock!
Livable Raleigh, a citizens group advocating for effective community engagement on city issues, congratulates City Council for its decision today reinstating Citizens Advisory Councils. The decision pushed by Mayor Baldwin four years ago to cut off the CACs was a mistake, and the vacuum it created has been apparent in the years since then. Today’s decision begins to rectify that mistake.
Raleigh Chamber reports possible election format changes
Like a child who is told no by one parent, this council now wants to go ask the other parent to see if they can get what they want. Do they just plan to keep asking the question until they get the answer they want?
RCAC expects recognition vote from City Council – Press Release
The Raleigh Citizen Advisory Council board is looking forward to a City Council vote on Tuesday, February 6 to correct a mistake that was done to Raleigh residents 4 years ago. See full press release