New Raleigh City Council sworn into office Monday night

The new Raleigh City Council, including four new members, will be sworn into office Monday.

Posted 12:19 p.m. Dec 5, 2022 — Updated 12:19 p.m. Dec 5, 2022

Michael Grace

, WRAL multimedia journalist

RALEIGH, N.C. — The new Raleigh City Council, including four new members, will be sworn into office Monday.

Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin and seven council members will be gather at Raleigh Union Station, 510 W. Martin St., at 6 p.m. to take their oaths of office.

Baldwin faces a new test in the months ahead as she works with four new members, Mary Black, Megan Patton, Jane Harrison and Christina Jones, who are all endorsed by anti-growth groups in opposition of her plans to address housing affordability by increasing residential density through rezoning efforts that allow for construction of townhomes, tiny homes and granny flats.

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WRAL News spoke to Black, the youngest member, who said she doesn't plan to shy away from her duties.

"My whole campaign is about building a rally where everybody can thrive," Black said. "I feel the the responsibility of doing a good job for young people in the city as well as the district that I am representing."

Black's district, A, includes North Hills, where Kane Realty wans to rezone land within the shopping center to allow for taller towers, as much as 40 stories high, along Six Forks Road.

The new council members have called for developers to be more responsive to the community before moving forward with rezoning.

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"I think I might be the only person on council who is a renter," Black said. "We're trying to figure out ways that we can we can really be creative because we are the capital city and so development has to take place. [Raleigh] is one of the fastest growing places in the nation, but how can it happen in ways that respect the people that are here and the people that want to come here?"

The swearing in ceremony is open to the public and will be livestreamed on the city of Raleigh's YouTube channel.

The new council's first meeting will be held Tuesday at 1 p.m., when the council is expected to discuss North Hills rezoning.

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