Name: Whitney Hill
Age: 70
Party affiliation: Republican
Campaign website: http://whitneyforraleigh.org
Occupation & employer: Business owner and contract sales
Years lived in the area: 52
1. Given the direction of Raleigh’s government, would you say things are on the right course? If not, what specific changes will you advocate for if elected?
No I believe that our policies are heading to a Seattle. We need to control taxes, catch up on our infrastructure and housing, and keep up with the population growth with first responders.
2. If you are a candidate for a district seat, please identify your priorities for your district. If you are an at-large candidate or running for mayor, please identify the three most pressing issues the city faces.
“1. Controlling taxes.
2. Law enforcement and fire fighter staffing to keep up.
3. Increasing the supply of housing.”
3. 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?
1. Current chair of the Raleigh North CAC.
2. Years of small business experience in Raleigh.
3. Corporate boardroom experience.
4. Limited “Jobs for Life” nonprofit experience
5. Chair of Raleigh Chamber CEO Roundtable
6. Third time running for Raleigh City Council.
4. Raleigh voters will have the option to support a $101.5 million housing bond and a $101.5 million transportation bond this fall. Do you support the bonds? Why or why not?
The bonds are being managed without a tax increase. We desperately need a jump start to get folks off the streets. I pledge to monitor the money spent and results.
5. As climate change leads to more intense rainfall, communities are at greater risk of inland flooding, such as the historic floods in parts of the Triangle caused by Tropical Storm Chantal in July 2025. How would you like Raleigh to address climate resilience, particularly flooding?
To date, we have not had a hurricane (non issue). Our water problems are a result of impervious services. We need to develop the infrastructure to manage the extra water discharge…not after we build, but before, or during the time we build. I would also like to look into creative ways that we could reduce parking lot space like underground parking lots.
6. After a decade of planning, Raleigh scrapped a proposal for the Six Forks Road widening project for bike and pedestrian lanes that would have been financed by transportation bonds that voters had already approved. In southeast Raleigh, construction on Phase 1 of the city’s Bus Rapid Transit system was delayed two years after the city initially failed to attract a bidder. How can city leaders ensure Raleigh keeps its commitments to voters and taxpayers and keeps projects on track from planning through construction, as well as within their budgets?
The only way that this will happen is for citizens to hold their elected accountable. The Six Forks Road was continuously punted for not good reason…Patrick Buffkin five years ago tried to get the Six Forks Rd project going and was rebuffed for no given reason. Again Mary Black did the same thing having a citizens meeting showing plans and options. Nothing happened. Under the current council it was buried.
7. Last fall, Customs and Border Protection agents carried out immigration enforcement operations in Raleigh with no official warning to elected officials or the public. At the same time the Trump administration is working to ramp up deportations and curtail visas, while the legislature has passed laws requiring cooperation with ICE. What do you think Raleigh officials can or should do to ensure safe, welcoming communities for immigrants in light of these policies?
The priority for ICE is to get criminals out. One of the best way to keep ICE out of our communities is to hand over foreign nations that are in our jails or prisons for serious crimes so ICE does not have to go into our communities.
8. Many local municipalities, including Cary, Durham, and Apex, have introduced moratoriums on new data centers in order to study their impacts and develop regulatory policies. Should Raleigh consider a data center moratorium like its neighbors or should it continue to evaluate proposals for data center projects that require the city’s approval on a case by case basis?
I am for this. Let’s get the facts and listen to the public before deciding.
9. Last year, the Raleigh Police Department came under scrutiny for its handling of the investigation into the crash that killed Tyrone Mason. Additionally, a former senior officer was fired in May 2025; it was later revealed that the officer conducted illegal searches. How do you think the city should work to build trust between residents and RPD and what role do you think the council should have in overseeing the culture of the police department?
The RPD police force has not grown with the population. We have less officers than we did 20 years ago. This means that we have overworked officers and a department that has more and more difficulty policing itself. We need to expand hiring and training to increase the force to build levels of officers for an increasing population.
10. How should the city of Raleigh address homelessness encampments? Have city initiatives such as the Bringing Neighbors Home pilot program been successful in your view? What more should the city do to address unsheltered homelessness?
The first thing is simply have enough places to live. In this the city has failed. As for Bringing Neighbors Home Pilot Project, it is difficult to say…The homeless in tents can be counted and the stats I am referencing do not show an improvement in numbers. This does not necessarily mean that it is not having an affect. It may be keeping the numbers from getting worse. Then there are the homeless you cannot measure, families avoiding social service to keep their kids, people sleeping on the couch at friends and neighbors, and people living in their cars. Second we need to work with non profits to create and environment that folks can responsibly into home ownership or rental. As for mentally ill, we need to get them into facilities.
11. As the city adds to its housing stock, how should it continue to address affordability? Do you have ideas on ways the city can work with housing developers or property owners to keep housing affordable for residents?
Supply adds to affordability…I would prefer to see activity achieved through the private sector, even if there is public funding supporting it.
12. Raleigh’s CACs have been fully restored, and the city has introduced civic assemblies for paid community outreach, among other measures. What more could or should the city do to engage and inform residents?
I am chair of the Raleigh North Citizens Advisory Council. I would not say that they have been fully restored. Some CAC’s are still not active and the ones that are active in some cases have been struggling to recover. The program took a real gut shot when it was disenfranchised by the Raleigh City Council in 2020 and we went through covid. The city is now supporting it through the Engagement Network. Thanks to some heroic citizens, it is coming back. The city could do more to promote.
13. How should the city address public safety downtown, including around the central bus station and Moore Square Park and in Glenwood South?
1. Solving homeless situation would be gigantic.
2. Staff the police to levels that are required for them to do their job.
14. If there are other issues you want to discuss, please do so here.
Our City Council, does not always listen to our citizens. I am not against the developers, but there needs to be a balance with the concerns of the citizens.
