Whitney Hill, candidate for Raleigh City Council District A
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Candidates for Raleigh City Council District A 2022
The candidates running for the Raleigh City Council District A seat include Mary Black, Cat Lawson and Whitney Hill. Get to know the candidates with our NC 2022 Voter Guide.
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The News & Observer asked readers again this year to submit their questions for the people looking to lead Raleigh.
We received nearly 200 questions that covered a range of topics important to city residents.
We asked candidates for a yes or no response to 15 questions with a chance to fully explain their position. If candidates did not provide a yes or no answer, we didn’t include their fuller response.
We also included biographical and open-ended questions. Some responses were edited for clarity or length.
Here is how Raleigh City Council District A candidate Whitney Hill answered the questionnaire. Hill is one of three candidates for the north Raleigh seat.
Incumbent Patrick Buffkin is not seeking another term. District A candidates are elected only by people within the district and serve two-year terms.
All eight seats on the Raleigh City Council are up for re-election.
Early voting for the Nov. 8 election began Oct. 20.
Name: Whitney Hill
Age: The candidate did not provide his age
Occupation: Business owner
Education: College, BS in Computer Science, NC State University
Endorsements (limit to three): John Oden, Paul Bledsoe, Donnie Harrison
Previous political or civic experience? Headed Raleigh Chamber CEO Roundtable Program, Ran a Jobs for Life Site at my church
Campaign website: WhitneyForRaleigh.org
How do you identify your political ideology? I believe a government’s primary responsibility is to protect its people and create an environment where people can prosper.
How would you add diversity to the City Council? Get rid of at-large seats and have smaller districts, say 9 districts.
What is your favorite locally owned restaurant either in the city or within your district? The candidate did not answer this question.
The city of Raleigh lowered the speed limit downtown to 25 mph. Are you in favor of lowering the speed limit to 25 mph throughout the city?
No. 25 mph is fine for neighborhoods but would be very bad on main arteries and would cause further traffic congestion.
Should the city help bring a sports and entertainment stadium downtown?
No. Not sure ... may be a good idea make Raleigh more of a destination. I would have to look at traffic and zoning strategies in detail, as well as listen to what the citizens want.
Do you support reinstating Citizen Advisory Councils?
Yes. CACs are a great way to communicate what is important with the public in different areas of the city. Should have never been disbanded.
Would you vote to increase the police department’s budget?
Yes. We have been choking law enforcement in Raleigh, and it shows with an increased crime rate.
Would you vote to increase the salary of the city’s first responders, including police, fire and 911 staff?
Yes. Our police continually leave and go to work in neighboring townships. Many of them cannot afford to live in Raleigh. We have to pay them the top dollar in Wake county to keep them.
Will you support keeping city buses fare-free indefinitely?
No. Not sure. I would seek public opinion on this one and look at the economics of it. Buses serve a segment of our public. It may not be fair to the general public to make it free
The city has received numerous noise complaints about traffic and street racing. Is the city doing enough to enforce its noise ordinance?
No. But police are understaffed and in continual emergency mode. We need to fully staff our police.
Would you support the city creating a buffer zone around abortion clinics?
No. Would depend on what the details were.
Do you support the city’s missing middle zoning changes?
No. People should expect that their neighborhoods are going to be protected.
Do you support the city’s $275 million parks bond?
No. Not if is tied to a tax increase. This bond may be needed to fund Raleigh’s growth, but we should be able to fund payments on it with new tax revenues coming into the city coffers from people moving into the area.
Would you propose additional measures to address the affordable housing crisis for lower wealth residents?
Yes. The City Council needs to negotiate with developers from the side of the table of the citizens. Zoning is a powerful tool with which to negotiate. The council should negotiate a balanced approach to development with developers so that all income levels are served.
Do you support Raleigh’s and Wake County’s efforts in bus rapid transit and commuter rail?
No. Bus yes ... commuter rail no. It has never been shown who is going to ride the commuter rail. Once it is built it will require a tax increase to keep it running. I would reconsider if the plan showed that rail would go to the airport.
Should it be possible to live in Raleigh without owning a car?
Yes. It is ... We have bus, Uber/Lyft and there are places to live where you can walk to businesses. I think we can do more in this area.
A council-appointed study group made a recommendation to add one seat to the Raleigh City Council. Do you support expanding the size of the council by a seat?
Yes. We need to make all seats tied to a district. At-large seats do not allow for the councilmen to connect with the public in a smaller district. I would want eight seats that represent eight districts.
Do you think the current City Council has put Raleigh on the right path?
No. Crime is up, citizens are unhappy with zoning decisions, homelessness is up and the perception of the citizens is that they are not being listened to.
What will you do to ensure Raleigh’s working-class residents don’t get priced out of the city?
Zoning and negotiations with developers to build affordable housing.
What lessons should the city have learned from public safety challenges like COVID, curfews and George Floyd protests? Would you propose any new policies or changes?
We have seen the wrong way to do it .. .let’s work with public safety departments to learn from our mistakes to do a better job.
How can the city limit investment firms from buying entry level homes?
Not sure ... This is an area that we need to look into.
Describe a program in another city that you want the city of Raleigh to try. Please be specific.
I will look at ideas from other cities to solve Raleigh’s housing availability issues.
Raleigh is the center of one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country. How do you personally feel about that?
I think we need to do a better job in negotiating with large corporations moving into Raleigh to get better deals. Citizens who already live here should not have to foot the bill with higher tax rates for infrastructure expansion.
Name one initiative you’d propose in your first 100 days in office.
Increase pay and morale of our police department.
This story was originally published October 24, 2022 at 3:09 PM.
