Name as it appears on the ballot: Mitchell Silver

Age: 64

Party affiliation: Democratic

Campaign website: silverforraleigh.com

Occupation & employer: Urban Planner/McAdams

Years lived in Raleigh: 13

  1. Given the direction of Raleigh government, would you say things are on the right course? If not, what specific changes will you advocate for if elected?

No – I am running because I believe we need new leadership on the city council to move our city in a better direction. When I served as Planning Director, I led the effort to draft Raleigh’s Comprehensive Plan – a blueprint for where and how our city should grow. It guided the city council in decision making regarding development, and ensured new development was consistent and predictable. I believe the city has gotten away from deliberate planning that embraces a long-term vision for our city.  We need to do a better job of planning strategically – and engaging the community in that process — to ensure we create a future that is affordable, sustainable, and equitable. 

  1. If you are a candidate for a district seat, please identify your priorities for your district. If you are an at-large or mayoral candidate, please identify the three most pressing issues the city faces.

My priorities for District A are affordable housing, managing growth in a smart way, expanding transportation options, reducing traffic congestion, and protecting public safety. North Raleigh has seen explosive growth in the past decade. Residents I’ve spoken to are concerned about housing affordability, particularly rising rents and an increasing property tax burden on homeowners.  My top priority will be making housing more affordable by investing in new affordable housing, encouraging affordable housing units in new developments, supporting first time homebuyer incentives, expanding the housing supply, and promoting policies that ensure longtime residents can remain comfortably in their homes.

  1. What in your record as a public official or other experience demonstrates your ability to be effective as a member of the city council and as an advocate for the issues that you believe are important?

I have served in appointed public service roles for over 30 years, including as planning director, parks commissioner, and town manager. In each of these roles, my priority was creating inclusive, equitable communities. As Raleigh’s Planning Director, I brought neighborhood groups, developers, small business owners, and community leaders, together to create positive change and unite around a vision for the future. On the city council, I’ll continue my record of engaging the community, solving problems, and crafting a strategic vision for the future.

  1. In 2021, the Raleigh City Council enacted a missing middle policy to allow for the construction of new, diverse types of housing across the city. More than 2,000 newly-allowed units have been added to the city’s housing stock under the policy, yet there has been pushback from residents, including lawsuits. Do you support Raleigh’s missing middle housing policy as is, or do you think it needs amending? If you feel it needs to be changed, please explain. 

I am always open to making changes to policy based on feedback from North Raleigh residents. Missing middle is a relatively new concept that is still being studied, implemented, and refined in cities across the country. I agree with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz that we need to build more homes to expand our housing supply, and adding more housing choices like townhomes and duplexes will help us reach that goal. But we should do so in a way that contributes to our city’s affordability and is consistent with our Comprehensive Plan. I would also encourage more dialogue with the community that informs residents on potential policy changes and impacts to their neighborhoods before major decisions are made.  

  1. Raleigh has many funds, programs, and partnerships in place aimed at addressing affordable housing, but still has a deficit of some 23,000 affordable units. What more can the city do to secure affordable housing, and what more can it do to ensure that low-income residents don’t face displacement?

Raleigh needs to be bold and innovative to ensure housing is made more affordable now and in the future for renters, current homeowners, and future home buyers. Raleigh should significantly increase investment in new affordable housing units, including considering new housing bonds, and land bank for future affordable developments. I would also support utilizing density bonuses and other incentives to encourage new developments include affordable units. Increasing the housing supply overall, and allowing additional density in areas like downtown would help reduce the tax burden and alleviate demand pushing up prices in neighborhoods. 

I recently worked with a city to craft an anti-displacement action plan that resulted from community listening sessions in neighborhoods that have been historically marginalized. Some of the proposed solutions included funding a tenant-based eviction program, providing home repair and modification grants to low-income homeowners, ensuring equitable appraisal practices, and expanding tax exemption. I would support pursuing similar policies in Raleigh, as well as continuing to utilize overlay districts to protect neighborhoods vulnerable to gentrification.  

  1. The recent resignation of GoTriangle’s CEO raises questions about the future of the county and regional transit strategy. How do you see the future of transit in Raleigh when it comes to Bus Rapid Transit, microtransit, and commuter and regional rail projects?

Raleigh should continue to invest in and expand transportation options including Bus Rapid Transit, and finally make commuter rail a reality. We should work with Wake County and regional partners to build consensus and ensure continuity in a county and regional transportation system.

  1. A common complaint from residents is that the city council doesn’t do enough public engagement, with the plan to relocate Red Hat Amphitheater being one recent example. Do you agree with this assessment? If so, what more should the city government and council do to engage residents with city business? 

Yes – I was open about my concerns with the lack of public process in the Red Hat decision. Many residents I spoke with only became aware of the proposal in the months leading up to the vote, and after the City Council had reviewed and selected a plan that would close South Street. 

  1. Downtown Raleigh has had a rough five years following the COVID pandemic with the transition to working from home and business owners reporting an increase in crime and other issues. Many see keeping Red Hat Amphitheater downtown as a positive step; what else does the city need to do to help downtown with its recovery and plan for its future?

I support the recommendations in the Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA) Economic Development Strategy, released in 2024. This strategy calls for big ideas to transform downtown and the surrounding area, activating the downtown core with family-friendly activities, strengthening the retail and dining experience, and improving the physical appearance of downtown as a regional destination. In addition to the DRA strategy, I strongly support the construction of more housing to increase the number of residents living downtown and reimagining places like the Nash Square district and Capital Boulevard as mixed-use places with shopping, dining, and living. 

  1. Since 2012, the City of Raleigh has paid more than $4 million in settlements to 47 individuals, families, and estates related to RPD officer’s use of excessive force and other unconstitutional interactions. What are your thoughts on the current culture at RPD? For what changes would you advocate to improve the culture of policing in Raleigh, if any?

I am confident in the current leadership team led by Police Chief Estella Patterson. The Raleigh Police Department must continue to identify, train, discipline, or remove personnel who do not share the values of serving and protecting the citizens of Raleigh of all backgrounds. In addition to holding our officers to the highest standards of training and ethical conduct, we need to respect and adequately compensate our first responders to keep and recruit the best. RPD must continue to evolve its community policing approach as Raleigh continues to grow and diversify. We must balance enforcement with a focus on crime prevention. RPD must also work with community partners to engage the community and our youth. 

  1. Some municipalities, such as Durham, have seen success with crisis response units that deploy trained workers to respond to non-violent behavioral health and quality of life calls for service. Should Raleigh consider such a crisis response program that’s NOT housed in the police department? 

Yes, civilian social workers are best equipped to respond to mental health, substance abuse, and family crises. 

  1.  The next city council will transition from two-year to four-year terms with staggered elections. What other changes, if any, should the city council make to how voters elect its members? Should any additional changes be put to voters in a referendum or should the council make those decisions?

Raleigh has seen multiple changes to its elections in the past few years. Many voters I’ve spoken to weren’t even aware that we now elect the city council in a presidential election year. The city should explore options for how to encourage better representation, and ensure voters are informed on city council elections and can engage on city issues. Any changes to elections should have a transparent process and include public input, whether via referendum or a deliberate community engagement process.