Council discusses state legislative agenda: protect municipal authority, consider targeted policy goals

City staff and the council’s contract lobbyist led a workshop session on drafting a Raleigh state legislative agenda, stressing guiding principles to shape specific policy goals over the next biennium.

The presentation, led by Demetria Jones and contract government-relations counsel Philip Eiseley, reviewed how a legislative agenda frames policy themes and measurable goals for advocacy at the state level. Staff highlighted the need to prioritize a small number of attainable items, align timing with the two‑year legislative biennium and consider both defense (opposing undesirable bills) and offense (advancing city priorities).

Why it matters: A municipal legislative agenda sets the council’s priorities for state lobbying and can shape whether the city seeks statutory changes, protects local revenues or asks for programmatic funding. The council’s guidance determines what lobbyists and staff will pursue in Raleigh and with state agencies.

Key points from staff and council discussion - Guiding principles proposed: protect and expand municipal funding streams; protect and expand municipal authority; leverage public-public and public-private partnerships; and advance city strategic plan goals and policies. Councilors broadly supported those principles during the session. - Possible policy goals flagged by council responses: affordable housing incentives, multimodal transportation funding, anti‑displacement measures and stormwater/infrastructure resiliency. Staff noted some topics—such as certain zoning-use reforms (conditional‑use law changes)—are politically contentious at the legislature. - Coordination with partners: Philip Eiseley recommended close coordination with Wake County, the League of Municipalities and state executive agencies (for example the Department of Administration) to pursue practical, achievable outcomes.

Follow-up and timing: Staff told council the draft agenda should be finalized before the next legislative windows and that the city manager and lobbyist will use the principles to respond rapidly to state developments. Staff indicated a December/January target for a public-facing draft and said council would be asked in April to adopt any bond referendum purposes and amounts if needed.

Ending: Councilors asked staff to refine wording for guiding principles and policy goals, and to return with a draft that ties each proposed goal to likely responsible staff actions, timelines and funding implications.