Key Issues
Effective and Actionable
Effective and Actionable are the keys to all of the issues facing Raleigh. Policies that you believe are effective, but you can’t take action on, clearly won’t work. Policies that you can take action on, but are proving ineffective, also clearly won’t work. I intend to bring ideas to the table that will prove effective, and actionable.
Affordable Housing
Despite Council’s touted “achievements” in allocating money towards affordable housing, the numbers of affordable units in the city continue to fall by about 4,000 per year. Clearly their policies are not effective.
Lobby for Inclusionary Zoning
Current state law does not allow municipalities to require developers to build affordable units. We need to make the state change that.
Public-Private partnerships
Instead of allowing developers to tear down existing housing and start over, the city should consider partnering with a non-profit to purchase and manage the properties as affordable units.
Stop Up-zoning
Up-zoning forces long-time homeowners out of their homes by making their neighborhood tax values sky rocket. Unable to afford the taxes, they’re forced to sell their homes, which are often torn down and redeveloped, creating a domino effect.
Community Engagement
Despite the creation of a Community Engagement department, our ability to engage with our government and have inputs on it’s decisions about our lives and homes has been stripped to almost nothing.
Create a new, more centralized, version of Citizen Advisory Councils
More CACs, each representing smaller groups of more localized citizens, with the requirement that developers and the City Council engage with them and give the CAC input.
Public oversight is crucial to government action
All meetings of the City Council should be public, unless required by law to be closed, and any attempt by Council members to hold closed meetings not required by law should be punishable. No vote should ever be made in secret.
Vote history of Council members should be posted prominently on Raleigh's website
We the people have every right to know what our representatives are voting on our behalf, and should not have to look hard to find it.
Town Hall meetings should be a requirement
District reps should hold them quarterly. At-large and the Mayor should hold them twice per year. Failure to hold them should result in dismissal from the Council.
Transportation
Overlay a map of the bus routes in the city with the neighborhoods of the city, and you’ll find significant areas lacking.
Fifteen minutes should be the goal
No person should have to walk more than fifteen minutes to reach a bus stop, or a connector pick up, and no route should be operating on less than fifteen minute intervals at stops during peak hours.
Busses should be safe
Crime deterrence on city busses should be a priority. Working cameras, and partnership with RPD are a good start.
Drivers should be paid a sufficient wage to keep them working
Staffing issues are a concern, and the first way to address it should be serious consideration for a wage increase.
Environment
Raleigh has wonderful parks! Unfortunately, most of them are too far from where people live, except in downtown.
Walking distance access to green space
Every neighborhood should have a city park or green space within walking distance or easily accessible by bus.
Smaller community parks should be invested in
Large, sprawling city parks like Dorothea Dix are great, but not the only answer. Smaller parks with community accessibility should be a focus.
Violent Crime Alert
With technology where it is today, there is no excuse for not informing citizens of ongoing violent crime so they can protect themselves.
Police response time averages 5-6 minutes nationwide
As we saw in October, 5-6 minutes can result in the deaths of multiple people who are unaware of a problem.
Amber Alerts and weather alerts already exist
Clearly the technology is there and available. Raleigh just hasn’t invested in it.