Raleigh City Council voted on Tuesday to bring back support for local groups that help elected officials and the public communicate with each other. It comes after those groups — known as Citizen Advisory Councils, or CACs — had their funding cut in a similar
“I want to show residents that their voices are being heard and acted on,” said councilmember Christina Jones.
The mood in council chambers became contentious in the leadup to the vote, as Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said she had no clue the motion would be brought. Several council members intimated they believed Baldwin was complicit in helping cut funding to the programs four years ago.
“You can blame me, but I didn’t,” the Mayor said at one point.
The vote to reinstate the CACs, which passed unanimously, was met with applause from community advocates and supporters in attendance. That included Dr. Ulysses Lane, the head of Southeast Raleigh’s CAC, who noted that the number of CACs and members involved has dwindled since funding was cut. That’s been especially pronounced in underserved and historically Black parts of the city.