Raleigh city staff is now entering Year 2 of not knowing how to allow a real parade — that is, a parade like those held in every major city in America. Not only do we not have anything concrete from the City Manager, she doesn’t even have a timeline for bringing something forward for Council to consider. Meanwhile, our parades are limited to walkers and horse-drawn wagons.
Councilors Melton, Forte & Branch betray the people to serve Baldwin
ALL voters should remember this betrayal when next year’s election comes around. All four of the councilors who voted to restrict the time of the speakers have made it known they plan to run for re-election. What the four of them all said at this meeting is that voters CANNOT TRUST them to honor the commitments they make to the people of Raleigh.
Council didn’t like your election survey answers. So this time they’re ‘helping’ you get them ‘right’.
Raleigh City Council is doing another survey about election reform. We say another because they did a survey on the topic and published those results in January 2022. But, they didn’t like your answers. So, they are commissioning another survey and this time they are wording the questions differently to try to get answers they like.
What does it mean when 50% of your campaign contributions come from for-profit developers?
A message from Robert Steele. Councilman Jonathan Melton has submitted his mid-year campaign finance reports, and as expected, it’s more of the same. 50% is developer and real estate money. In almost every email the Councilman sends out, he toots his own horn on affordable housing, but can we trust him to have the interests of housing strapped residents at heart when HALF of his campaign is funded by for-profit, and not for-people, developers? I don’t think we can. That’s why I won’t be accepting developer money in my campaign. I want you, the residents of Raleigh, to be absolutely SURE that I am not bought and paid for. We can’t say the same for Councilman Melton.
Victimized by Vibrancy – Part II
This issue has been on City Council’s agenda for nearly two years now going back to Sept 2021. The Council has been very timid in their responses over this time. Council’s response to the latest wave of crime and neighborhood vandalism was all talk and no action, except to ask staff for another report in a month or two.
Raleigh Pride, All Talk, No Action
Apparently, it’s only Raleigh that must stay silent out of fear that the politicians on Jones Street might do something to hurt the straight, cis, white residents of Raleigh and we can’t risk that. As long as they are only attacking the LGBTQ+ community, Raleigh’s City Council is good.
Mayor Baldwin & Councilor Melton violate City “Gag” order
Many of Raleigh’s residents have been reaching out to their representatives on City Council hoping to have a discussion about the city’s Missing Middle policies and what can be done to modify them to make them less harmful to established neighborhoods. But, they are being told no discussion can be had.
Survey Says – Is it Bias or Hypocrisy?
If you watched the two City Council meetings on May 16, 2023, the Work Session discussing election reform at 11:30 followed by the City Council Afternoon Session at 1:00, we wonder if you noticed what we noticed. We were disappointed but not surprised at the way city survey data was perceived differently by some councilors at these two separate meetings.
Councilor Melton promotes “Alternative Facts”
Every month Councilor Jonathan Melton publishes a newsletter summarizing the actions of City Concil for that month. In his April report, he included a bonus from the May 2nd meeting which was an explanation for his vote on the zoning case Z-54-22, Peace & West Streets. It’s filled with misinformation.
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.