The filing period for candidates in Raleigh’s November 8th Mayoral and City Council elections closed Friday, July 15, at noon. It’s an interesting slate of candidates, with a mix of returning incumbents, unknown newcomers and even a couple well known Council retirees coming back for another run. Raleigh voters will be able to count on Livable Raleigh to provide all the information needed to be an informed voter in November.
Why you should care about Raleigh City Council elections
Raleigh’s City Council makes decisions that impact your daily life. Tuesday, November 8, will be your opportunity to make your voice heard.
Your Taxes Raised 22%, Council’s Pay Raised 82%
During their term in office, Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin and City Councilors have raised your taxes by nearly 22% and Council's pay by 82%.First, some background facts: Mayor Baldwin and City Council took office in Dec 2019. Each spring the council approves a budget for...
N&O says Raleigh Needs Better Answers
With your help, we are expanding our outreach and partnerships to engage voters and candidates about the most important city issues and highlighting the better answers Raleigh residents want and deserve.
Livable Raleigh’s polling results confirmed by INDY Week’s “Best of” winners
INDY Week's "Best of" winners were announced June 15, 2022 and the results show INDY Readers have the same concerns about Raleigh as the voters who told Public Policy Polling they want change. Livable Raleigh commissioned a poll of Likely Voters and found four...
Why is Council hiding its full pay? We scoop the local media to bring you the Whole TRUTH
Local media reports say Raleigh's City Council passed their 2023 Budget and it includes increases to the salaries of the Mayor and Councilors. But, the reports don't tell the whole story. What has been reported as increases of 42% for the Mayor, 50% for the Mayor Pro...
Who Does Council Serve? – Part 2: Eliminating Big Money Influence
"Rotten to the Core"Our system of paying for political campaigns is "rotten to the core", says Bob Phillips of Common Cause NC, a leading clean government watchdog. In a recent Indyweek article, Phillips said "We need a better way ... to eliminate the influence of big...
Who Does Council Serve? Part 1: Follow the Money.
72% of Raleigh voters say city government is too beholden to developers. City Council has tried to hide the corrupting influence of big money in a growing list of backroom decisions, but three out of four Raleigh voters see it and feel it every day – as rapid growth drives up their cost of living, drives down their quality of life and drives modest income families out of town.
The People Have Spoken
There has not been a municipal election in Raleigh in over two and a half years. But as you know, this week there was a NC State Senate race involving Patrick Buffkin, a member of the Raleigh City Council. I view the outcome of this race as a proxy for the opinion that the people in Senate District 13, and more broadly across the city, have regarding the Raleigh City Council and its performance over the last two and a half years. Just as elections have consequences in the direction of the next council, so the actions of the council have consequences in the direction of the next election.
Patrick Buffkin – Rejected in Landslide
Raleigh City Councilor Patrick Buffkin asked the voters who know him best to promote him to a seat in the NC Senate. Their answer was a resounding NO! The Tuesday, May 17th primary was the first electoral test for a sitting member of Raleigh's City Council and the...