Breaking Down the Sign Rules Debate

Competing claims about the city’s sign ordinance—some say Raleigh needs new rules for signs in windows, others say the current policy is too strict—have sparked a debate in city hall. Raleigh City Council members are creating a new task force to come up with new rules for window signs.

City Council At Large: Mary-Ann Baldwin

Mary-Ann Baldwin

District: At Large
Age: 56
Occupation: Vice President of Marketing for Holt Brothers Construction; Executive Director of Holt Brothers Foundation
Incumbent: Yes, 6 years
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Why should constituents elect you? I think over the past six years that I’ve been a proven leader in council. I’ve had major accomplishments in terms of bringing together the entrepreneurial community, and working on transit-related issues. So I think that my record stands on its own, and I’m anxious to continue working on things that I haven’t finished yet. Many issues taken up by the state legislature have a direct impact on Raleigh.

Wake School Board District 7: Zora Felton

Zora Felton

District: Wake County School Board District 7
Age: 62
Occupation: Retired July 1 from Wake County Schools. Taught for 25 years. City of Residence: Raleigh
Incumbent: No
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Do you have children in the district? If so, explain. All three of my children graduated from Wake County Schools.

City Council At Large: Jason Spriggs

Jason Spriggs

District: At Large
Age: 31
Occupation: Businessman and Photographer
Incumbent: No
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Why should your constituents elect you for City Council? Because I’m different. I guess you hear that a lot. I think nowadays you don’t even hear it as much as you used to. But I’m different.

City Council District B: Brian Fitzsimmons

 

Brian Fitzsimmons

District: City Council, District B
Age: 31
Occupation: Chief Operating Officer of The Sorin Insurance Group
Incumbent: No
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Why should your constituents elect you? I think the most important reasons are the fact that I represent the people and I am a demographic that is very common in our district, which is I have two young kids, and I’m active in the local business community, and I think that I really do represent a very specific, but also a demographic that is very common in District B.

District B has a lot of residential areas and so I think I represent that well, but more so I think, if I had to answer the question of why should people elect me, there’s no stronger reason other than the fact that I’m not really afraid of saying ‘no.’ And what I mean by that is that I’m not doing this to do what’s popular. I’m doing this to do what’s right and I go into this with a very open mind. But I’ve got to go into a position like this with the understanding that you know what, there might be a situation down the road that I might be enlightened. I might learn something, and my position might change.

City Council At Large: Russ Stephenson

Russ Stephenson

District: At Large
Age: 57
Occupation: Architect and urban designer
Incumbent: Yes, 8 years
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Why should your constituents re-elect you? I think Raleigh has had great success over the past 10 or 12 years probably, in rising to the top of the national rankings. And that kind of success doesn’t happen by accident, but by a concerted effort on many fronts to set goals for that success. And so, I think we’ve done a great job, serving the eight years I’ve been on there. I’ve been a strong advocate for high-quality services that are affordable, that attract high-paying jobs.