Actually, there are three, but only one that’s expected to be close. Democratic County Commisisoners Harold Webb and Betty Lou Ward are heavy favorites to hold their seats, respectively. In the third contest, Republican Commissioner-incumbent Kenn Gardner is up against the inimitable Stan Norwalk, a Democrat who was blogging (on CaryPolitics.org) way before blogging was […]

We reported in the Indy this week about the Raleigh business leadership’s pushback against the STAC’s apparent consensus in favor of an ambitious “2020 plan” for regional transit service in the Triangle. (STAC, of course, stands for Special Transit Advisory Commission.) Fearing the Raleigh-Wake oppo would sink their efforts, the STAC’s chairs and co-chairs had […]

The Special Transit Advisory Commission (STAC) went all in today, agreeing in principle to recommend construction of a regional rail transit system connecting every corner of the Triangle from Chapel Hill to Durham to Raleigh to Northeast Raleigh. That’s a total of almost 60 linear miles of track.
It was a decision, as member Mike […]

Stan Norwalk, vice chair of WakeUP Wake County and an outspoken proponent of managed-growth policies around here for years, tells me he’s just about decided to run for the Wake Board of County Commissioners. Stan’s a Democrat. He’d be a candidate in the May 6 primary for the seat now held by Republican Kenn Gardner. […]

It’s all about the money now. The STAC (Special Transit Advisory Commission) was on the verge today of endorsing a “2020″ plan for the region that looks an awful lot like the original Triangle Transit Authority transit plan circa 1992 or ‘93 — back when the TTA plan included a northeast spur out of […]

Well, stop the presses. Asked to vote in favor of higher taxes for no particular purpose … and in the face of a well-funded campaign against such taxes … and no campaign in favor of them … voters in 16 N.C. counties said no. (Well, it’s lovely this week in Carolina, so I’m sure most […]

Public Policy Polling is out with new data on the October 9 Cary and Raleigh elections. The front-runners: Harold Weibrecht (right) in Cary by almost 2-to-1 over incumbent Mayor Ernie McAlister. Given the TV attack ads McAlister’s been running, that’s maybe not such a shocker. And in the Raleigh at-large City Council race, incumbent Russ […]

The Raleigh Wake Citizens Association is the city’s oldest (75th anniversary coming up) and most influential political group representing black communities, including the Southeast Raleigh neighborhoods. Its endorsement is highly prized by Democratic candidates, and in this year’s at-large City Council race — and I base this on what I heard at last week’s RWCA […]

Some thoughts on the Wake elections:
1) The $970 million school bond is just the down payment. (But thank goodness it passed.) Remember, the school board was testing numbers between $1.3 billion and $1.9 billion to meet current need, with a projected decade-long tab for new schools and renovations to old ones of more than […]

Some said it was doomed to failure. The N&O’s polls said it had no chance. (The last poll had it losing by 19 points.) On the other hand, props to Dean Debnam’s Public Policy Polling, which consistently said it would win — by 8 points, in its most recent poll. And sure enough, the $970 […]