At Mayoral Town Hall, Candidates Look to Differentiate Themselves in a Crowded Field

This past Wednesday evening, in partnership with North Carolina Asian Americans Together, the Blue Ridge Corridor Alliance, and the Hillsborough Street Community Service Corporation, we held the latest event in our series of Town Hall-style candidate forums for the Raleigh municipal election coming up on October 8th.

The event took place at Raleigh Brewing Company, and it was the fourth Town Hall we’ve organized so far this election season. You can read about our prior Town Halls by clicking on the links below.

As we’ve written before, this is going to be an important election for Raleigh. As Raleigh continues to grow and change, it’s facing a variety of challenges, including mounting traffic and congestion, aging infrastructure, a lack of affordable housing, and resident displacement through gentrification. Moreover, there’s a large pool of candidates looking to become Mayor this year. Yet one name in particular is notably missing.

In March, Nancy McFarlane announced that she would not seek re-election to a fifth term as Raleigh’s Mayor. As such, come this fall, voters are poised to choose a new Mayor — and a new vision for the future of the city — for the first time since 2011.

So, on Wednesday night, we brought together all six candidates competing to be Raleigh’s next Mayor and gave them the chance to explain to voters their plans for where they want to lead the city over the next two or more years. Voters are evidently interested because despite the heat, humidity, mugginess, and looming threat of Hurricane Dorian, close to one hundred people came out to meet the candidates, ask questions, and learn more.

Below is our recap of the night. But first, a few important disclaimers.

As a purely nonpartisan organization, we feel it’s important to point out that we neither support nor endorse any particular candidate, plan, agenda, position, or policy described below. Furthermore, although we’ve attempted to portray the candidates’ answers accurately and objectively to the best of our ability, mistakes can happen. So, if you feel that we’ve misrepresented any of the candidates’ positions, please feel free to reach out to us and let us know. Finally, given that our goal here is simply to share information about candidates and their positions with a wider audience — beyond those who have the time and resources to attend candidate forums in person — we’ve made no attempt to dispute or fact-check any of the candidates’ statements or claims.

One of These People Will Be the Next Mayor of Raleigh

The evening began with a brief welcome from the event organizers, including Stuart J. Levin, President & Founding Chair of the Blue Ridge Corridor Alliance, Chavi Khanna Koneru, Executive Director for NC Asian Americans Together, and Heather Keefer, Executive Director for WakeUP.

Following this, each candidate took the opportunity to introduce themselves to the crowd.

*From left to right: Sean Maroney (Moderator); Charles Francis; Zainab Baloch; Mary Ann Baldwin; Justin Sutton; Caroline Sullivan; and George Knott*

George Knott went first, introducing himself as a Raleigh native with family ties to the area that go back seven generations. Lacking formal political experience, Mr. Knott described himself as mainly a concerned citizen who’s paid close attention to the news over the past thirty years. During that time, he said, he’s “watched Raleigh grow in a way that has contributed greatly to our affordable housing crisis and our homeless population.”

Next to speak was Caroline Sullivan, the Executive Director of the North Carolina Business Committee for Education and a former Wake County Commissioner. Ms. Sullivan acknowledged at the outset that Raleigh is in the midst of a time of great change and growth. As such, she said, we need to plan for that growth and “build resiliency for our future.” Toward that end, Ms. Sullivan elaborated by saying we need to provide affordable housing and transit options for everyone and ensure all children throughout the city have the same educational opportunities. Ms. Sullivan said we also need to support sustainable economic development, address quality of life and safety issues, and protect the things that make Raleigh a unique and fantastic place to live, such as its arts, cultures, and parks.

Justin Sutton, a procurement attorney for the state of North Carolina and a life-long resident of Raleigh, said that he’s running for Mayor because of his desire to ensure Raleigh’s continued progress and growth. As Mayor, Mr. Sutton said he would prioritize economic growth and stimulate the local economy. At the same time, he said he would maintain focus on issues of housing affordability, infrastructure management, and adding concentrated growth and density in the city’s core.

Mary Ann Baldwin is the vice president of marketing for Holt Brothers Inc., Executive Director of the Holt Brothers Foundation, and co-founder of Innovate Raleigh. She’s also a former At-Large City Councilor, having served on Raleigh City Council from 2007 to 2017. Ms. Baldwin began by highlighting what she regards as some of her major achievements from her time in office, saying that, as a City Councilor, she advocated for a funding stream to build affordable housing, worked on the Wake County Transit Plan, and “led the charge on Oak City Cares.” Ms. Baldwin went on to say that her vision is to make Raleigh a “city of progress, innovation, and compassion.”

Zainab Baloch, an activist and former Raleigh City Council Candidate, is presently a numbers operation specialist at Even, a financial services company based in Oakland and Raleigh. In her introduction, Ms. Baloch spoke about her optimism for the future of Raleigh, stressing that, as a Raleigh native, she believes her hometown can do better. “We’re the second biggest tech hub after Silicon Valley,” she said. And although Raleigh is presently facing a lot of the same challenges as other, larger cities throughout the U.S., such as gentrification and displacement, she said she believes we’re not yet far enough down any of these roads that we can’t still choose to take a different path. “I truly believe,” she said, “that Raleigh can be the city that can say, ‘Hey, we can grow, we can economically thrive, but we don’t have to push poor people out.’”

The final candidate to introduce himself was Charles Francis, a local attorney and Mayoral candidate in the 2017 municipal election. Mr. Francis spoke about his policy priorities, emphasizing the need for more access to housing — “both to rent and to buy,” he said. He also talked about his desire to bring in new jobs and new businesses and to grow our parks, including not only Dix Park but also neighborhood parks. Finally, he stressed that his goal for the evening was to highlight some of the most important distinctions between himself and the other candidates and to provide voters with the information they’ll need to make an informed decision on October 8th.

Following the candidates’ introductions, the question-and-answer portion of the evening began with a timely question about compromise.

Mayor McFarlane talked about the need for compromise and a return of fighting for Raleigh together. If you are elected, how will you use your role in leadership to achieve this?

Mr. Francis answered first, saying that merely talking about compromise is not enough and that what Raleigh needs right now more than anything is leadership. “You lay the issues on the table,” he said, “have a good debate about those issues,” and then “after you’ve had that debate, you make a decision and then join hands together as friends and move forward.” Mr. Francis went on to say that while we all agree on the major challenges currently facing Raleigh, such as the need for more affordable housing and better access to public transit, we don’t always all agree on what the best approaches are for addressing those challenges. The question, as he put it, is “how do we get there?” Mr. Francis concluded by saying he’s ready to work not just toward a “common denominator” but rather toward building consensus and advancing a vision of Raleigh where everyone is included in the city’s growth.

Ms. Baloch began her answer by emphasizing that, although compromise is important, there are some issues on which we should never compromise. “I wouldn’t compromise on putting affordable housing first,” she said. “Or putting transportation first, or making sure we’re not displacing people through the policies we’re putting in.” Furthermore, noting that compromise involves reaching out to and working with residents, Ms. Baloch added that the City needs to do a better job on public engagement and making local government accessible to everyone. We’re not engaging with communities to help residents develop their own solutions, she said, nor are we making it easy for communities to bring those solutions to the table. “Our City Council meetings are 1:00pm to 4:00pm, so pretty much anyone who has a job can’t make it.”

Ms. Baldwin went next, saying that, in her view, this election is about not only leadership but also experience. As she put it, it’s about “knowing your way around City Hall, knowing and understanding the issues in the budget, and having data and the command of the data to make good decisions.” As an example of her experience with leadership, Ms. Baldwin pointed to her role in helping to establish Oaks City Cares, the new services hub on South Wilmington Street for individuals and families at risk of, or currently experiencing, homelessness. “We brought twenty different non-profit groups together in committee and then created a task force for them to help us move forward on a short-term solution and a long-term solution to our homeless situation,” she said. The result of those efforts, she added, after a four-year period of implementation, was Oak City Outreach and Oak City Cares.

Up next was Mr. Sutton, who said that, when it comes to collaboration and leadership, the City of Raleigh needs someone is an “effective and firm negotiator.” He also stressed that voters need someone who “knows how government works” and who understands the complexities of running an organization. He added that, as a public servant and procurement attorney who knows full well the responsibility that comes with serving tax-payers, he would work to keep private interests out of elected public office.

Ms. Sullivan said that most of the exciting innovation that’s happening in U.S. cities today is the direct result of mayors who know how to establish “complex collaboratives.” Specifically, she said, it’s because of “the folks who figure out how to get the right people in the room and create a shared vision and solution to complex problems.” Ms. Sullivan noted that, as a County Commissioner, she led the way on creating a number of innovative collaboratives, including Wake Directors, a mental health collaborative still in existence today, and Wake Invests in Women, a collaborative to address the still very significant gender pay gap that persists here in Wake County. Indeed, Ms. Sullivan noted that when it comes to the matter of gender equity in pay, “our gender gap [in Wake County] is worse than the rest of the country, including our peer counties.” Ms. Sullivan concluded by saying that we can’t depend on the federal government to come and fix our problems anymore. In the future, she said, more local governments need to think innovatively and collaboratively, “bringing people together in a sustainable way to create shared visions.”

Mr. Knott was the final candidate to answer. He said that, in his view, the Raleigh City Council has, over the past decade or so, been like a cross between a soap opera and professional wrestling. “People keep getting re-elected, he noted, adding that “I think Raleigh must like to have a City Council that fights with each other.” On the issue of collaboration, Mr. Knott said he’s not worried about whether Council Members are civil with each other. Rather, he said he’s “worried about the City Council being accountable to the people of Raleigh.”

The next question focused on candidates’ plans to address climate change at the local level, a particularly relevant issue given that, on the evening of the Town Hall, communities all along the North Carolina coast were bracing for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Dorian the next day.

Climate change is beginning to affect the city, with hotter temperatures and more extreme storms. If elected, what is your plan to increase resilience in the city to respond to the consequences of a warming climate?

Mr. Knott answered first, saying that he doesn’t have a formal plan to address climate change because, in his view, other problems are more pressing. “Most of my platform has to do with growth,” he said, “and how growth is taking precedence over almost everything.” “I think a good first step,” he said, “is to try to figure out how to rein in our growth,” noting that, in his opinion, many of Raleigh’s present challenges and problems stem directly from “growth that our city is incentivizing.”

Ms. Sullivan went next, saying that in addition to focusing on things like LEED certification, public transit, and performance contracting, we need to make sure we partner with area businesses already tackling issues related to energy and the environment. “We’re a hub of solar energy here in the state of North Carolina,” Ms. Sullivan said. As such, “we should take advantage of all of our business partners in that space.” Noting the importance of continuing on with the City’s current sustainability plans and achieving our goal of an 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, Ms Sullivan went on to discuss the need to build resiliency through everything we’re doing in the community. At the same time, however, she lamented that she thinks too many governments are doing a “terrible job of building resiliency while times are good.”

Up next was Mr. Sutton, who said that “when we don’t have the answers currently, we seek experts and consultants.” He stressed that, if elected, he would bring in environmental experts to advance proposals on how the City can curb greenhouse gas emissions and reduce waste. Mr. Sutton went on to talk about the importance of preserving our natural resources and green spaces as a way to support and enhance the quality of life and overall health and well-being of Raleigh’s residents.

Ms. Baldwin spoke next about mitigating the effects of climate change by reducing urban sprawl, supporting urban density, and investing in public transit and other forms of non-automobile centric transportation. “The way to curb some of these carbon emissions,” she said, “is to create walkable communities, make sure we build in transit corridors, embrace new technologies for mobility, such as scooters, and make sure we have a bus plan that makes sense.”

Meanwhile, Ms. Baloch said she takes issue both with the phrase “climate change” and with the City’s goal to reduce carbon emissions, saying neither does justice to the urgency of the current problem. “This really isn’t a goal,” she said. “It’s a deadline. We’re in a climate crisis, not a climate change.” Ms. Baloch went on to say that we need to change the way we live, the way we move people around the city, and “we have to do it fast.” She added that Raleigh’s pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% over the next thirty years is not enough. “Most cities our size are setting goals like becoming carbon neutral by 2020 or by 2025,” she said. Ms. Baloch concluded by saying that we need to address the climate crisis by increasing density, introducing more transportation options, and introducing more housing.

Mr. Francis was the final candidate to answer, and began by noting his agreement with Ms. Baloch on the urgency of the issue. He went on to outline three specific things he would do, if elected, to help mitigate climate change. First, he said, he would work to increase the number of people who use public transit rather than a private automobile. “We need to build a bus system and a commuter rail system over time so that more people will choose to be on transit,” he said. The second thing he said he would do is re-examine the plan to tear down Raleigh’s existing City Hall, which he said is “unnecessary.” Finally, Mr. Francis said we need to oppose the RDU Quarry and “save the 105 acres of green space and thousands of trees that are there.”

Mr. Francis’ answer set the stage for the next question, which dealt directly with the issue of the controversial RDU Quarry.

What actions do you think the Raleigh City Council should take, if any, with regards to the proposed new rock quarry next to Umstead State Park?

For background reading on the RDU Quarry issue, check out our post for the District E Town Hall, which includes links to articles published by the News & Observer.

Mr. Francis answered first, saying that, based on his conversations with officials, concerned residents, and members of the Umstead Coalition, an organization founded in 1972 to preserve and protect Umstead State Park, he’s persuaded that the City of Raleigh should “intervene in the lawsuit and take the position that we don’t want a quarry built in that location.” He went on to say that while the funding needs of the RDU airport are serious, “the amount of money the airport authority is getting for this lease is not enough for the damage that is being done to our environment.” He stressed that the four communities responsible for appointing members to the airport authority — the City of Raleigh, the City of Durham, Wake County, and Durham County — need to find an alternative stream of income to replace the money that would otherwise come from the proposed quarry.

Ms. Baloch went next, saying that she agrees with Mr. Francis and is completely opposed the proposed quarry. “I think it’s a really bad deal,” she said, “and, on top of that, extremely harmful to the environment.”

Ms. Baldwin followed, saying that, in her opinion, the current City Council “completely missed the mark on this.” When it became clear that there were plans to propose a quarry, she said, City Council could have proposed something else and then paid for it. “I am not going to initiate a lawsuit on behalf of the City,” she added. “Dr. Spooner [referring to Jean Spooner, chair of the Umstead Coalition] has already done that.” Ms. Baldwin went on to say that, in light of the fact that there’s been talk of a potential quarry for several years now, it’s important for voters to think about “what is really going on and what is motivating all of this.”

Mr. Sutton went next, saying that he, too, completely opposes the plans for the quarry. Mr. Sutton said he regularly visits Umstead State Park and goes there every Sunday to walk the trails and breathe in the fresh air. We do a great disservice to our environment and to our residents whenever we strip our land of its natural resources, he went on to say. And on the topic of pending litigation, he added that he “hopes the courts will come in and make the right decision.”

Up next was Ms. Sullivan, who began by saying that, of course, she would prefer to have open space rather than a quarry next to Umstead State Park. She pointed out that when she was on the Wake County Board of Commissioners, Wake County was a leader in the nation in terms of making major investments in open space. However, she added, she doesn’t feel comfortable taking a position on pending litigation without knowing more about what the City Attorney had to say about the matter during closed sessions. Nonetheless, she added that the courts will make their determination on the lawsuit soon, and we should focus our efforts on preparing for next steps. Ms. Sullivan went on to say that she believes there are a number of important lessons to be learned from this situation, chief among them that there should be much more public engagement and transparency in these sorts of deals. “It’s critically important for the public to have their say before these things happen,” she said.

Mr. Knott wrapped up this question by saying that he too agrees with Mr. Francis. “If you elect me Mayor,” he added jokingly, “I’m going to take his services to fight!”

According to the Wake County Public School System 4,365 children were identified as homeless last year. That number is up 86% since 2010. What are your plans to address this issue and the affordable housing crisis in Raleigh?

Mr. Knott answered first, arguing that many of Raleigh’s problems with homelessness stem directly from unchecked growth and from what he described as our habit of incentivizing companies to move downtown. When companies move downtown, he said, they don’t hire workers from the community. Rather, they bring in workers from outside. Mr. Knott said that when those workers then want to live downtown, that’s when you see highrises being built instead of affordable housing, which leads to people being forced out of their homes and neighborhoods. He added that in 2018 we had 5,500 homeless people in Raleigh, an increase of 1,300 from the previous year. “It’s all being driven by the explosive growth downtown,” he said. “Growth and a housing crisis and homeless problem are two sides of the same coin, and they’re both burning just as hot.”

Ms. Sullivan spoke next and was quick to point out that the number of children in Wake County who are homeless might, in fact, be even higher than what’s been reported by the Wake County Public School System. According to some estimates, she said, that number might be closer to around 6,000, which she described as “breathtakingly horrible.” Ms. Sullivan went on to say that child homelessness is one piece of a larger, complex problem concerning housing. “This is an incredibly complex problem with a lot of moving parts,” she said. “And we can’t just have simple strategies in a silo.” She added that what we need is a complete, comprehensive approach like what we did with transit, where we gather together various groups and stakeholders to figure out both our near-term and our long-term goals. Ms. Sullivan went on to innumerate a few programs and strategies she supports, including eviction programs, homeownership programs, and programs to keep people stable in their housing. She also said we need to work with builders to add more density and make sure that affordable housing is included along major transit corridors, such as the Bus Rapid Transit lines soon to be implemented.

Mr. Sutton argued that what’s needed most of all when it comes to addressing our present affordable housing crisis is a focus on policy. There’s a widening gap between renters and owners, he said. So, we need to look strategically at our housing policies and consider ways to ease requirements for people to qualify for minimal affordable housing. Mr. Sutton went on to say that some people throughout the city are grappling with decisions about whether to pay their utility bills or their rents, because they can’t afford both. We have to look at how our budget is structured and “commit resources to areas with the greatest need,” he said.

Ms. Baldwin spoke next, saying this is what keeps her awake at night. She said that one of the first things she did after deciding to run for mayor was put together a ten-point plan to address Raleigh’s current affordable housing deficit. She said her plan is available on her website and focuses on policies, balancing supply and demand, and taking care of those who need our help the most. “If we don’t deal with this affordable housing issue,” she concluded, “we’re going to have bigger problems than this.”

Ms. Baloch began her answer by criticizing current and past elected leaders for not doing more to address child homelessness in Raleigh. “I know if I had ten years in office, I would make sure at least that didn’t happen,” she said. And while addressing the present lack of affordable housing will be important to solving this issue, she said, affordable housing is only one piece of the larger puzzle, with poverty and gun violence acting as additional contributing factors. So in order to design a “more humane and moral city,” she said, we’ll need to recognize all the various factors that interact to cause homelessness and then work together to address those factors holistically.

Mr. Francis said that affordable housing and homelessness will be his top priority if elected and that his plan to address these issues includes ten or twelve specific suggestions. While he referred voters to his website to learn more about the details of his plan, he also highlighted a few of the specific ideas he supports. Mr. Francis said he agrees with the idea that this is largely a question of supply and demand, saying we need to create more supply for modestly priced housing and for people with low and moderate incomes specifically. In addition to this, he said he would like to see more micro-housing being built, so people can move in off the streets and out of hotels on Capital Boulevard.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) will make up about a quarter of the new 80 miles of frequent bus service Raleigh expects to have by 2027. The BRT system is expected to cost around 350 to 400 million dollars to implement over the next eight years. How do you propose to help make this a successful investment in transportation infrastructure?

Mr. Francis started his answer by underscoring that the BRT is going to be an important way to increase ridership on public transit. He went on to elaborate on his additional plans for supporting public transit generally. First, he said, he wants to explore the possibility of making all bus service free. “Not much money is gained on ridership anyway,” he added, “so if we can increase the percentage of people on transit, then that will support the system.” Mr. Francis went on to say that he would also work to make Raleigh’s public transit system more convenient and more approachable for residents who have cars. “Right now,” he said, “it’s just not a very viable choice to go most places on public transit if you have a car.” Third and finally, he said, we need to, over time, negotiate with NC Railroad to use the North Carolina Railroad system to implement commuter rail from eastern Wake County to Durham and Wake Forest.

Ms. Baloch spoke next, saying that a top priority has got to be creating safe access to public transit. Many residents, particularly those living in neighborhoods with high crime, just don’t feel comfortable riding the bus when there are no bus shelters in their neighborhood or when bus stops and sidewalks are not well lit, she said. In addition to this, Ms. Baloch added that Raleigh should look at what other cities throughout the U.S. are doing to support public transit. For instance, she said, some cities have been experimenting with setting up a sort of “subscription model like Netflix,” where, for a single price, residents can ride buses, bicycles, or e-scooters to get to where they need to go.

Ms. Baldwin began her answer by stressing the importance of tying BRT to land use. We need to have density along these BRT lines,” she said. “That’s the whole key to usage and to convenience.” Like Ms. Baloch, Ms. Baldwin underscored the importance of safety and accessibility, saying we need to invest in infrastructure improvements, such as sidewalks, bus shelters, and bus platforms, to provide safety and security while people walk to and wait for buses. Finally, we need really good marketing, Ms. Baldwin said, “to make sure that people know the value and accessibility of BRT and to make sure that people are informed and educated.”

Mr. Sutton went next, beginning by extolling what he sees as the benefits of BRT. “I believe BRT is one of the most efficient, cost effective, and energy efficient means of mass transportation out there currently,” he said. However, he added, the downside is funding, as a lot of mass transit programs depend heavily on the availability of federal and state funds.

Ms. Sullivan followed this by first providing a little background information on the Wake Transit Plan, which is being funded through the transit-dedicated half-cent sales tax voters approved back in 2016 and which is currently in the process of being implemented. When it comes to BRT specifically, she said, the City of Raleigh needs to focus on two things to make sure it’s a success. The first, she said, is the “first and last mile problem,” which involves figuring out how to get people from their homes to BRT and then from BRT to their final destinations. Ms. Sullivan said that solving this problem will require investments in bikeability and walkability. Secondly, she said, the City needs to focus on the BRT corridors themselves and the real estate along those corridors. We have to make sure that density gets built and that we include affordable housing, she concluded, adding, “we only get one bite at this apple.”

Mr. Knott said BRT is a great idea, and he wishes we had it sooner. From there, he shifted the conversation to the issue of maintaining the city’s greenways. Mr. Knott spoke specifically about the need to repair Structure 106 along the Crabtree Creek Trail, which has been closed for several years due to storm damage and erosion along the banks of the Crabtree Creek. He said fixing this portion of the trail will be critical to providing quick, efficient pedestrian access to Wake Forest Road, where the new Wegmens grocery store and shopping plaza is presently being developed.

Where you stand on the removal of the Molok trash collection system being piloted in downtown Raleigh?

For background reading on this issue, click here.

Mr Knott stated simply, “I say leave them in place for a solid year, like the plan initially called for.”

Ms. Sullivan spoke about the need for “robust public engagement,” saying it’s unfortunate that some of the businesses downtown felt they were left out of the discussion about where the Molok trash bins should be placed during the initial trial phase. She went on to say, however, that she thinks the bins are a good idea in general, given that they add energy efficiency.

Mr. Sutton said that removal of the Molok trash bins poses a “significant environmental concern,” so he supports “acting in the best interests of our city” and moving the bins to a different location.

Ms. Baldwin began her answer by first applauding City staff for trying something new and innovative. “Did they make a mistake?” she asked. “Yes, they didn’t contact the bank [M&F Bank], and that was a big oversight.” Ms. Baldwin went on to say that she would like to see some sort of a compromise on the issue rather than the outright removal of the trash bins. “Right now, when you walk down the sidewalks downtown,” she said, “there are trash cans everywhere, it smells, and there are flies.” She added, “it’s not a good look for our city, and it’s not sanitary.”

Ms. Baloch said she disagrees with the idea that this is an issue with City staff. Rather, she said, “I think this is an issue with broader public engagement as a whole.” She went on to say that she thinks Raleigh missed an important community by not first asking M&F, the only black-owned bank in North Carolina, whether they wanted the Molok trash bins in front of their business. “I think it sets an important precedent for engagement in the future and what we can and can’t tell businesses in the future,” she concluded.

Mr. Francis said this is another issue on which there is a clear distinction between himself and the other candidates. “I don’t think this was something that was inappropriately handed or that could have been done better,” he said. “I just think it was a mistake.” Nonetheless, he said, the matter highlights several issues with the way the City operates. First, he said, it highlights a lack of inclusion in city processes and procedures. Second, he said, it highlights the fact that, in his view, City staff has “too much power over policy matters.” Finally, he said it highlights the “out-of-control” revitalization strategy for Raleigh’s Downtown, which he says is too focused on entertainment, restaurants, and bars. “Don’t get me wrong,” Mr. Francis added, “I enjoy many of the restaurants downtown.” But, he continued, “we also need to have barbershops, we need to have dry cleaners, we need to have a Downtown Central Public Library, which I am going to get built.” Mr. Francis concluded by saying, “We need to have more than just places where you can get a $10 cocktail or a $30 meal.”

Raleigh has one of the best, most rigorous training programs and produces amazing police officers. However, they are often quickly recruited by other municipalities for better pay, schedules and ranking. This leaves RPD understaffed and with a hard time retaining good officers. What will you do to ensure we have enough officers to keep up with our growing city?

Mr. Francis answered first, saying that the first thing we should all be concerned about is that the size and strength of Raleigh’s police force has not kept up with the City’s growth in population. “There should be two officers per 1,000 people,” he said, “which would be over 900 officers in uniform.” However, he added, “we currently have somewhere between 600 and 800. We need more cops, and we need to pay them more, and we need to treat them better so that they will stay.” As Mayor, Mr. Francis said he would plan to meet with officers regularly to listen to their concerns and implement changes in policy based on those concerns. “The most important function of city government is public safety,” he concluded.

Ms. Baloch echoed Mr. Francis’ concerns about the Raleigh police force being understaffed and added that the problem is further exacerbated by the fact that officers have to deal with more issues today than in the past. “They’re having to become mental health counselors,” she said, “ they’re having to deal with the rise in gun violence, and they’re having to deal with federal agencies like ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).” Meanwhile, she added, many officers can’t afford to live within the city. However, supporting and respecting the police force doesn’t just require that we pay them more, Ms. Baloch went on. Allowing police officers to grow also means holding them accountable to the community through a public accountability board with power to “change and adjust the racial inequities that are in Raleigh.”

Ms. Baldwin began by acknowledging that the problems Ms. Baloch raised are some of the reasons why a lot of people don’t want to go into police work. “It’s dangerous, they’re being called on to do much more than than they were in the past, and it’s very stressful.” As such, Ms. Baldwin said, we need to attract more people to the field, and we need to provide officers with more opportunities to get to know who they’re serving. For these reasons, Ms. Baldwin said she supports community policing as a way for “police officers to get to know young people and for young people to get to know police officers.” Ms. Baldwin also said she believes we need to “pay officers their value” and stressed that, if elected, she would look into revisiting the City’s pay study from four years ago to make sure that we’re paying our officers a fair and competitive rate — so that “Holly Springs or other communities can’t come steal our officers, because that’s exactly what’s happening.”

Mr. Sutton spoke about the need to prioritize items in the City’s budget in order to direct funds to our most essential needs, which he said include police and public safety. “If we don’t have public safety,” Mr. Sutton said, “then we don’t have a civil society to live in.” If elected, Mr. Sutton said he would look at bringing in consultants to address wage disparities and align officer pay scales with the national average to make police salaries in Raleigh more competitive. He also said he would look at directing more funding toward areas like mental health services, saying we need to do a better job of focusing on and supporting the overall health and well-being of our officers.

Ms. Sullivan spoke about the need to attract new officers and retain existing officers through a variety of different types of investments in our police force. “The City’s making investments to train cops,” she said, “and then they’re getting poached away.” She went on to say that financial investments aren’t enough and that we also need things like investments in housing. Ms. Sullivan pointed out that a number of cities around the country, such as Fairfax, Virginia, build housing for municipal and government employees. Ms. Sullivan also pointed out the need for better training and marketing. In order to recruit new officers, she said, the City could look into organized youth apprenticeship programs to better inform young people about potential careers in law enforcement. “Maybe get some of that work done when they’re in high school,” she said, “so we can start building our own natural pipeline in the City of Raleigh.”

Mr. Knott spoke last and said there are two things he would do as Mayor to improve the present situation for Raleigh’s police force. First, he said, he would work to make sure we pay every city worker — police officer or otherwise — a wage that will allow them to live in our city. And second, he said, he would support the effort to implement a civilian-led police oversight board with the power of subpoena.

One More Town Hall in Our Series and Don’t Forget to Submit Your Questions Online

We want to extend our thanks to all the candidates and residents who came out on Wednesday evening to participate in yet another informative Town Hall event. Special thanks also to Sean Maroney for moderating and to our friends at NC Asian Americans Together, the Blue Ridge Corridor Alliance, and the Hillsborough Street Community Service Corporation for co-sponsoring the event. Thanks also to Raleigh Brewing Company for hosting.

We still have one more Town Hall event coming up in our series focused on candidates running for Raleigh City Council. That event will take place on Monday, September 9th, at 6:00pm, at the Royal Banquet and Conference Center on Hillsborough Street, and it will feature the candidates running to represent Raleigh’s District D.

The candidates running for District D are Kay Crowder (the incumbent Council Member for District D), Saige Martin, and Brittany Bryan. To indicate your interest in attending the District D Town Hall, simply head over to our event page on Facebook. And as with all of our prior Town Hall events in this series, residents can submit questions in advance through our website.

Although Monday’s event will be the last in our series of district-focused Town Halls, rest assured that there are still going to be plenty of additional opportunities coming up to stay engaged before Election Day on October 8th. In fact, we’re partnering with the League of Women Voters of Wake County to bring you even more candidate forums, and the first event in this series will be happening on Tuesday, September 10th, at 7:00pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh. That forum will feature the entire slate of Raleigh City Council candidates running for Districts A-E.

Finally, don’t forget that early voting for the Raleigh and Cary municipal elections begins Wednesday, September 18th. Click here to view a list of all early voting sites throughout the area. And if you’re a resident of Raleigh, you can click here to look up your City Council District.