Tension flares on the Raleigh City Council as leaders bring back citizen advisers
Four years ago the Raleigh City Council disbanded its 18 citizen advisory councils, or CACs, in a surprise vote without notice.
On Tuesday, after another no-notice vote, which included intentionally keeping the mayor in the dark, the council brought them back.
“Hear me when I say this: I am so proud to have led the organization through our darkest times, ensuring that we didn’t fade out because a few government officials wanted to silence us,” said Council member Christina Jones.
“While our organization is still rebuilding, I want to applaud those volunteers who dedicate their time and attention to teaching others how to have an impact on city government,” she said.
The discussion sparked a verbal spat between Jones and Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin, but the vote was unanimous.
“Four years ago, there was a change in how we did community engagement, and how we move these things forward,” said Council member Corey Branch. “I hope today we have a chance and opportunity to do a reboot.
“One thing I said on that day is that, with the absence of a replacement, there’s a void, And for four years there has been a void,” he said. “And hopefully today we can take the first steps of doing something to move things forward.”
The motion
Jones is a former CAC chair and former chair of the Raleigh Citizen Advisory Council (RCAC), a governing body made up of CAC leaders.
In her motion, Jones asked that:
- CACs get free monthly meeting space in a convenient city facility within their geographic boundaries
- CACs get paid subscriptions to virtual meeting programs like Zoom or Teams.
- A plan be created to educate residents about other city programs like Raleigh Neighborhood College and the Citizens Leadership Academy to cultivate future leaders.
Council member Jane Harrison noted that some CACs were unable to continue meeting after the city disbanded them and that she helped restart the West CAC.
“It’s my hope is to see that landscape grow across the city,” she said. “And that we have equity in organizations that are able to get together, make their voices known and be partners with us here at the city.”
Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan Melton acknowledged he was one of three council members on the board when the vote took place to disband the CACs. He voted for disbanding them.
“My hope at that time was that we would build a robust system,” he said. “And I had to be talked into that vote a little bit. I did feel like we had to start over to get to where we needed to go. And I think where we’ve gone over this past four years is we’ve created the Office of Community Engagement; we’ve created a separate process for rezoning cases. But we need to provide a menu of options for folks to engage”
‘It sucks, doesn’t it?’ council member asks
Before Tuesday’s vote, Baldwin said that “moving forward, I think it would be considerate to share a motion with the full council before just surprising people (by) making it at the table.”
From the audience chamber, former CAC leader Donna Bailey shouted “You mean like you did, Mary-Ann?”
“Did you do that when you dismantled them?” Jones asked.
Baldwin turned toward Bailey and asked if she would like to be removed from the council chamber.
“I would just like to ask, if going forward, that could be the case,” Baldwin said to Jones. “Because I had no idea what was going to be proposed ....”
“It sucks, doesn’t it?” Jones asked. “It sucks to be blindsided.”
‘That little smile’
Baldwin said Jones was on the committee that worked with Micky Fearn, the consultant the city hired to revamp its community engagement efforts. Those efforts eventually led to the creation of the Community Engagement Office.
“That committee was nothing,” Jones said. “I said it here in council that it was a joke. ... The reason that I am OK with how this happened today is because of what you did to us four years ago. It doesn’t feel good.”
“I didn’t do it,” Baldwin said. “So you can blame me, but I didn’t. And that little smile on your face. I know you are feeling really good.”
Council members Branch and Megan Patton both jumped in.
“Really?” Branch said. “Can we ... Seriously?”
“Let’s get a motion and a second,” Patton said.
“I do, thank you,” Jones said to Baldwin.
After the meeting, Jones told The News & Observer she intentionally did not tell the mayor about the upcoming vote because at least one council member didn’t know about the vote to dismantle the CACs back in 2020.
“I need five votes,” she said. “In this regard, no, it doesn’t matter. If you’re going to disrespect residents four years ago and not include them in the conversation, you can’t get mad when the opposite happens when they vote someone in who will listen to them.”
How did Citizen Advisory Councils start in Raleigh
Citizen Advisory Councils were founded by Raleigh Mayor Clarence Lightner about 50 years ago
“(Lightner) issued a challenge to the group to search out and attack the problems facing the city and extended a special challenge to work on three broad problems which are of great concern to the present and future of the city,” according to 1974 City Council minutes. “One: housing. Two: mobility of people. Three: governmental levels and responsibility.”
Previous City Councils pushed for reforms, including in 2017, but were met with staunch resistance and little change.
Why did the Raleigh City Council disband CACs?
In 2020, the City Council voted 6-2 to disband CACs and hire a consultant to create a city office of community engagement. Branch voted against disbanding the CACs, while Baldwin and Melton voted in favor. The remaining five council members on the board today had not yet been elected.
“We have had two mayors and councils try to make change,” then-City Council member Saige Martin said before the 2020 vote. “And they were not able to do so. I think it is a moral obligation for us to do what is right. And it is not easy and ... it is not simple.”
That vote was not on the agenda and former Council member David Cox was intentionally not told a vote would occur.
Critics of the CACs argued they had an outsized voice, especially on rezoning cases, and did not represent the entire city. Supporters of the CACs felt the decision got rid of citizen voices, especially around rezoning and development issues.
The city previously had eight employees working with the CACs and the RCAC, gave each CAC $1,000 a year ($15,000 to the RCAC) and provided free meeting space where paid staff gave updates on zoning, crime, water, parks and other matters, The N&O previously reported.
Last year, the City Council voted to let the CACs that were still meeting use a predetermined community center for free. CACs came up during the City Council’s recent retreat, including expanding the list of centers where they could meet.
At the end of the discussion, City Manager Marchell Adams-David asked if the council would give city staff “a couple of months” to bring two or three alternatives and options for the council to consider.
This story was originally published February 6, 2024 at 5:30 AM.
CORRECTION: This article was corrected to state that CACs were allotted $1,000 a year.
