Government Affairs Update: Elections in December?

​Raleigh, Wake County, WCPSS Elect New Leadership

There may not have been local elections on the ballot this year, but our elected bodies still voted to determine who will lead their internal decision-making processes for next year. The Raleigh Chamber has excellent relationships with all our new and recurring leaders, and we look forward to partnering with them to make 2024 a successful year. 

Wake County Board of Commissioners:
Shinica Thomas was re-elected as Chair, and Susan Evans was re-elected Vice-Chair. Both served in the same roles in 2023.
 
City of Raleigh:
Jonathan Melton was elected Mayor Pro Tem, replacing Corey Branch in the role. The Mayor Pro Tem executes the duties of the Mayor when the Mayor is absent.
 
Wake County Board of Education:
Chris Heagarty was elected Chair, replacing Lindsay Mahaffey who held the position for the previous two years. Tara Waters was elected Vice-Chair, though she was almost immediately chosen to fill the County Commission seat left by the passing of Dr. James West, so her position will pass to another Board member soon. ​

City of Raleigh Seeks Elections Input

Raleigh is asking for input on how we should elect our leaders, and what shape our city government should take in the future. You may recall that the city used to be elected in odd-numbered years (when we weren’t voting for state/federal candidates,) but shifted to even-numbered elections in 2022. Now, the city wants to know citizens’ preferences for how elections should play out in the future, including how many councilors there should be, if they should have staggered terms so they don’t all potentially turn over at once, and whether council terms should be extended from 2 years to 4 years.
 
These changes could have huge ramifications for the city and regional community, so please take the time to give your thoughts.