WCDP Election Central – Candidate Information

Jonathan Lambert-Melton

Raleigh City Council
At Large

Jonathan Lambert-Melton - Raleigh City Council At Large

Candidate Statement:

I first ran for City Council to help build a more affordable, sustainable, equitable, and less car-dependent city, and those same goals are why I’m running again. I moved here in 2004 to attend NC State and decided to make Raleigh my permanent home after law school in 2011. At that time, I was working for the State government and struggled to find a place I could afford to live near my office downtown. I also struggled to navigate the city without a car, as our transit was often not frequent or convenient, and bike lanes and multimodal transportation was scarce. I knew there was a better way to grow the city, and I ran in 2019 for that reason. During my time on the City Council, we’ve made great strides in these areas, and many big initiatives have started, like implementing the Affordable Housing Bond that voters approved in 2020, beginning construction on Bus Rapid Transit, and creating an Alternative Response Program for public safety, but there is still so much more work to do, and I’m committed to seeing these initiatives through to completion. I’ve also had the honor of serving as Mayor Pro Tem this term, and as an out, gay man under the age of 40, I think that visibility, especially in a southern capital city, is extremely important, and I want to remain a voice for LGBTQ+ and other marginalized issues on our City Council.

Importance of this Race:

From public safety and equitable growth to roads, multi-modal transit, parks, and greenways, city government has the most direct impact on the lives of people. It is vital that those who seek to represent our city have the experience, understanding, and common sense to keep Raleigh one of the best cities in the country to live and work.

Office Responsibilities:

Members of the City Council are the governing body for for the City of Raleigh. Their responsibilities include:

  • Appointing the City Manager, City Attorney and City Clerk.
  • Approval of the budget for the operations of all departments within City government.
  • Setting the vision and policy for Raleigh’s core services such as the Police Dept, Fire Dept, and 911 services, as well as the provisioning of clean water, collection of solid waste, and maintenance of our city streets.
  • Making legislative decisions regarding land use. They set both the broad vision for where development should occur and decide upon individual rezoning cases within Raleigh City limits.
  • Review and approval of grants to nonprofit organizations providing services within the city.
  • Review and approval of bonds addressing affordable housing, completing transportation projects, and enhancing parks and green spaces.

Issues:

Transit:

Access to safe, frequent, and reliable public transit is a major issue for Raleigh; for many folks, transit is a lifeline to employment, retail and services, and friends and family. We are so far behind as a city and a region on implementing non-car infrastructure that works for more people. Thankfully, we are finally making progress with the start of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT, like light rail on wheels) in Raleigh. We must continue to prioritize and fund transit investments. Those investments should include consistent funding to increase frequency on our regular, traditional bus routes, more funding for bike lanes and sidewalks, and funding to complete all four planned BRT routes.

Equitable Growth and Housing Affordability:

Raleigh is going to continue to grow at a rapid pace; that’s a fact. My promise is to ensure that our city remains a great place to live and work for everyone – those who have lived here for generations and those who have only recently started calling Raleigh home. To do that, we must continue to address housing affordability and find a balance that provides for smart growth, including more housing options throughout the city. I have supported the City’s efforts to provide over 5,500 affordable housing units in Raleigh by 2026 – and we are on target to meet that goal. Raleigh’s growth can’t come at the expense of its longtime residents, and our efforts to end exclusionary zoning throughout the city relieves pressure of gentrification in our neighborhoods. Historic preservation is also important. We should prioritize development on vacant and underutilized land, especially downtown. We need to make room for new residents who want to call Raleigh home, while protecting what makes us special and unique.

Public Safety:

Our public safety issues require a comprehensive approach, encompassing work in the areas of housing for the unsheltered, overall housing affordability, and support for our first responders. Our efforts on public safety are showing results. To recruit and retain good qualified first responders, I have supported efforts to increase the salaries of these critical workers. I have also voted to increase the number of our first responders, including the creation of our ACORNS unit, comprised of officers and social workers who work together to respond to mental health and other related crisis situations, as well as a special unit to patrol our greenways. I will continue to support efforts to prevent gun violence, including voluntary gun buyback programs.

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