The graph below comes from a Triangle Business Journal article contending that developers are “flooding” the current council with rezoning requests because they are confident that their requests will be quickly and easily...
Indyweek on Citizen Engagement, Raleigh-style: Out With the Old, In With … a Plan to Have a Plan? (Maybe With CACs! Just Like the Old Plan!)
In his 18-page report to the city council last week, Mickey Fearn—the consultant the city hired to study and make recommendations on how the city can best engage its residents with government processes and initiatives—all but suggests resurrecting CACs, or “community...
Patrick Buffkin – Withheld Videos Revealed
District A Councilor, Patrick Buffkin, has held three virtual Town Hall meetings since the pandemic has shut down in-person gatherings. The first was April 28, 2020. The second on Sept 29, 2020. And, the most recent was Feb 11, 2021. All other councilors who have...
Study Group on Council Terms/ Salaries and Voter Engagement/ Participation
City Council created a study group to explore if and how the council’s structure should change. That could include increasing terms from two to four years, upping council members’ pay (currently $17,412 for what’s considered a part-time job), and expanding the...
This Council abused its white privilege to suppress all Black CAC voices
One year ago, this Council used the excuse of ‘too much white CAC privilege’ to justify and conceal their own white privileged suppression of all Black CAC voices.
Feb. 4: One Year Today Since the CACs Were Gutted by Mayor Baldwin’s Council, and Still No Replacement In Sight
Today, February 4, is exactly one year since Mayor Baldwin and her City Council mates voted to gut the 18 Citizens Advisory Councils, leaving Raleigh without any functioning system for bringing citizens into city government. You may recall that Baldwin launched...
Stewart and Baldwin: Don’t Speak TRUTH to Power. Speak NICE to Power!
Raleigh resident Tim Niles delivered the following comments at City Council's Jan 19 meeting during the public comment period. Following Mr. Niles' transcribed comments is a discussion of likely Councilor violations of Council's own Code of Conduct. Tim Niles: Last...
Lack of Progress and Accountability in Raleigh’s Community Engagement Project
On Tuesday, January 5th I spoke to the City Council about the progress of the City's community engagement project. Below are my comments. — Michael Lindsay Hi Mayor Baldwin and City Council members. Thank you for this opportunity to speak with you. I hope all of you...
Raleigh’s Leaders’ Moment to Listen
Raleigh is at a pivotal moment, a moment where leaders must listen. For a city that has received so much praise for its quality of life as a great place to live, work, and raise a family, Raleigh’s leadership is being questioned by its most important stakeholders, the community.
I helped Mayor Clarence Lightner create the CACs. Why is the current City Council so unwilling to listen to citizens?
“The lack of serious communication in the past few days is also symptomatic of an unwillingness to listen.” — Henry Sarnoff, Prof. Emeritus, NCSU