The city budget hearings just creep up on us. After enjoying the holidays and a break from citizen involvement for a short while in December, it was time to jump right back into the swing of things in early January 2011 at Raleigh City Council.
The South West Citizens Advisory Council (SWCAC) has a long tradition of attending city council budget hearings. Last night was a pre-budget hearing for the cities operating budget and capital improvement programs.
The Mayor started off the budget hearing by saying that the budget was going to be tight and similar to last year. There would be little room for new operating budget items as the council is looking to trim the budget where it can.
The SWCAC list of items was short and sweet, but impactful for south west Raleigh:
- Support & funding for Tryon Road Part C, realignment, and bridge placement
- Funding for Lake Wheeler Road pedestrian improvements
- Master planning funding for the future park at Lineberry Drive and Sierra Drive
- Plan for adequate inspection, police, and fire staff (in fact, make sure we plan to take care of all our city employees)
- Improve response and tolerance of quality of life issues like parties, loud noise, and music
I believe both the Lake Wheeler Road and Tryon Road projects are already slotted for capital improvements. I just want to make sure these items don’t fall off the radar or get moved to a lower priority than they already are. But after I spoke, Councilman Crowder questioned whether Tryon Part C is already scheduled for capital improvement or if it’s slotted for a potential road bond this Fall.
When I spoke on improving quality of life issues, I went beyond saying it’s only about Raleigh Police Department (RPD) responding faster and issuing more citations. I proposed a solution I’d mentioned several months: require students from local colleges living off-campus to take an online course about being a good neighbor.
Councilor Gaylord seemed to like the idea. After the meeting was adjourned, Councilor Baldwin suggested working with the Hillsborough Street partnership because they have a good relationship with NC State. Look for a separate post about moving forward with this initiative.