Name: Jonathan Lambert-Melton
Age: 40
Party affiliation: Democrat
Campaign website: jonathanmelton.com
Occupation and employer: Lawyer and mediator, Gailor Hunt
1. In your view, what are the three most pressing issues facing Wake County? If elected, what will you do to address these issues?
Housing affordability, transportation, and public schools.
Wake County is growing rapidly and we have a lack of housing supply. The lack of supply is causing prices to increase and pushing people out; lack of supply also increases the need for publicly-funded affordable housing subsidies which puts pressure on our budget. During my time on Raleigh City Council, we’ve implemented zoning reform, to allow more types of homes to built in more places, to help absorb demand and lower costs. We’ve also made city-owned land available for construction of affordable housing by partnering with local nonprofit affordable housing providers. If elected to the County Commission, I will work with our partners to preserve existing affordable housing and to fund and expand new affordable housing. I would like to see the County also provide more land for affordable housing, and I will work with our municipalities on land use reform as I have experience in this area.
As we continue to grow, we need to provide more ways for folks to get around without a car. Growth without mobility means traffic, congestion, and environmental harm. If elected to the County Commission, I will champion implementing the Wake County Transit Plan, supporting bus rapid transit and safer streets. I will also help implement land use and zoning tools that help reduce sprawl, allowing folks to live closer to jobs and schools.
The State legislature has not fulfilled their Constitutional duty to fully fund and support public schools, and the deficit is falling to the County. Wake County’s future is dependent upon strong public schools, with support for teachers and quality facilities for our students. If elected to the County Commission, I will work closely with the Wake County School Board and community partners like Wake NCAE to understand these critical needs, and I will support funding them in our County budget.
2. How would your experience―in politics or otherwise in your career―make you an asset to the county’s decision-making process?
I have served as an at-large member of the Raleigh City Council since 2019, representing the largest municipality in Wake County. Many of the challenges facing Wake County are most acute in Raleigh, like housing affordability, transportation, growth, and the need for social services. I have real, practical local governance experience in addressing these challenges. Outside my elected role, I’m also a board certified family law specialist and certified mediator. I work hard to help individuals navigate difficult and complex situations, with a focus on listening carefully, weighing competing interests, and reaching durable, fair outcomes. These skills are directly applicable to countywide decision making, where a thoughtful and collaborative process is required.
3. If you are a candidate for a district seat, please identify your priorities for your district. If you are an at-large candidate, please explain how you would approach decision-making with the entire county in mind.
I currently serve in an at-large seat on the Raleigh City County, and I am experienced in making decisions through a wide lens, not just within a specific district. That experience is important in Wake County, where the needs of urban, suburban, and rural communities often look different.
My priorities include investing in strong public schools that support teachers, students, and families; funding affordable housing and advancing policies to increase housing supply; promoting sustainable growth that protects our environment and supports improved transit options; strengthening public safety with mental health resources and collaboration with first responders; championing workforce development and supporting the businesses that drive Wake County’s economy; and expanding recreational spaces, parks, and greenways for healthier communities.
I would approach countywide decisions by using data, making sure resources are aligned with needs, and working in close partnership with the 12 municipalities in Wake County.
4. With Wake County’s rapid growth come challenges related to suburban sprawl, transportation, and affordable housing. What have been the county’s successes in managing this growth in recent years? What about its failures? What would you do differently?
Wake County has made impactful commitments to regional transit planning, including creation and adoption of the Wake County Transit Plan and bus rapid transit (BRT) funding. The county has also taken meaningful steps to preserve open spaces and to invest in parks and greenways. I think we have the best greenway system in the country.
Like any rapidly growing county, we also have considerable challenges, and an obvious failure has been lack of housing supply. We don’t have enough housing available at a range of price points; costs are rising, and folks are getting priced out. Also, too much of our growth is still auto dependent, which results in sprawl, traffic, and loss of trees.
If elected, I will work with the municipalities in Wake County to implement land use reform to allow more missing middle housing, closer to where jobs, retail, and schools already exist. I will work with my colleagues to identify county-owned land and make it available for construction of new housing.
5. What should be the county’s role in addressing issues of economic inequality, such as gentrification, affordable housing, and homelessness? Do you believe the board is doing enough to help its municipalities manage Wake County’s growth in order to prevent current residents from being priced out?
I believe the housing shortage is the primary driver of inequality, displacement, homelessness, and economic insecurity in Wake County. When there aren’t enough homes at a range of price points in areas where folks want to live, costs rise and people are displaced. Housing and land use decisions are mostly the responsibilities of the 12 municipalities within Wake County, and those city or town councils get to make those decisions. The County’s role is to support the municipalities with resources, including access to heath and human services resources (only the county was chartered by the State with a health department, the municipalities don’t have health departments). The County is able to provide mental health, shelter spaces, and social service responses that the municipalities can’t provide on their own.
The current Board of County Commissions have done a lot to help the municipalities with growth issues, including locating and funding spaces for emergency, temporary shelters, contributing to affordable housing developments in towns and cities throughout the county, and providing mental health support. There is always room for improvement. In Raleigh, we have worked with the county on supporting Raleigh’s alternative response unit (Raleigh CARES) to supplement police with mental health resources for certain calls for service. I would like to see this program scaled countywide.
6. Property valuations have risen significantly in recent years and many Wake County residents are worried about their ability to continue to afford to pay taxes on their homes. What do you believe the county commission should do to make living here more affordable? Should the county consider lowering taxes or creating new tax assistance programs? If you support cutting taxes, where would you reduce government spending?
Property valuations are going up because the cost of housing is going up. The County Commission can work with the municipalities in Wake County on land use reform to increase housing supply, which will lower the cost of housing.
I acknowledge that is a long term goal, and folks need more relief now. The County currently maintains a few tax assistance programs, but they’re limited in scope. For example, the County provides a homestead exclusion for residents older than 65 who are permanently disabled; there’s also a tax deferral program that limits how much property tax a resident pays as a percentage of their income, but again it’s limited to residents older than 65 who are permanently disabled. I would support expanding these programs, but any changes would require action by the State legislature. I will work closely with the Wake County delegation in the General Assembly on expanding access to tax assistance programs.
At this point, it would be difficult to cut taxes or reduce government spending, most of the County budget is spent on education, capital investments (libraries, parks, etc.), human services, and housing. These are critical needs, especially since the State legislature is not fully funding public education. That said, the County should continue to look for ways to increase revenue from other sources, which would help reduce pressure on homeowners. If elected, I would work with my colleagues to identify county-owned land that might be suitable for sale for private development that would generate both one-time funds from the sale and ongoing property tax revenue.
7. The county board of commissioners voted this year to increase the Wake County Public School System budget by $40 million, which fell short of the school system’s stated need by about $20 million. Was this the right move? What is the county’s responsibility to public schools in an increasingly tight budget environment?
The increase was necessary, but it highlights the larger issue that our school funding isn’t keeping pace with the needs of our facilities, students, and educators. This problem has occurred in large part because the State legislature is underfunding public schools, and in turn, the school board must ask the County to help close the gap. The County has a responsibility to make public education a top priority, even in tight budget years. Public education is the foundation of economic growth and development, financial stability, and quality of life in Wake County.
8. At 41¢ per capita arts funding, Wake County spends much less than peer counties in North Carolina and regionally. A new arts spending plan lays out some ways to bridge those funding gaps, but many arts leaders believe the county should spend more. Do you agree Wake County should spend more on the arts? If so, what are some ways you think the county could finance that spending?
Yes, Wake County should spend more on the arts. During my time on the Raleigh City Council, I have supported our budgets that allocate about $5 per capita for arts funding. Arts are an economic driver, and investing more money into the arts will create and support more local jobs and improve quality of life. The County could finance more arts spending by setting aside a small percentage of existing capital funds for construction projects to include public art installations and by partnering with local artists and art organizations. The increase could be phased in over time.
9. North Carolina is a “Dillon Rule” state, meaning that the only powers municipal and county governments have are the ones granted to them by the legislature. Would you like to see this changed? How would you work with state legislators from Wake County, as well as mayors and council members from the city’s municipalities, to ensure that Wake County, its municipalities, and the state are on the same page regarding policies that affect residents of Wake?
Yes, I would like to see it changed, and I believe local governments should have more control and flexibility to solve local problems. Wake County, and the 12 municipalities in Wake County, know their residents and the needs of their communities better than the State legislature does.
That said, North Carolina has been a “Dillon Rule” state for decades, since county and municipal governments were defined under State law, regardless of which political party has been in control. I’m realistic about the fact that it will likely not change any time soon. That’s why it’s critical for local leaders to work together within our authority.
During my time on the Raleigh City Council, I have built strong working relationships with other local elected officials, including mayors and council members, and state legislators. I will continue to maintain and build those relationships to advocate for and advance tools within our control to address our housing shortage and affordability crisis, transit, and public health.
10. Is the county doing enough to protect, preserve, and maintain its natural resources, including parks, waterways, and green spaces?
Wake County has made critical investments in protecting natural resources, mostly through investing in parks, greenways, and open spaces. However, there is always room for improvement, and one area of concern is ongoing unsustainable growth patterns. Sprawl causes rapid reduction in tree canopy and the loss of green spaces, and car dependent developments increase greenhouse gas emissions considerably. I think the County can be more intentional about aligning growth decisions with our goals of environmental protection by facilitating dense, more transit-supportive developments in our municipalities.
11. Give an example of an opinion, policy, vote, or action you changed based on constituent feedback. If you have not yet held elected office, describe a time when you changed your position on an issue after listening to those affected by it.
In 2020, I voted with the Raleigh City Council majority to eliminate Citizens Advisory Councils (CACs). It was one of the first big votes early in my first term, and while CACs had their issues, I later regretted that vote and how the vote occurred. Since then, I’ve spent much of my time on City Council more directly engaging with residents, including in person office hours and my newsletter, and my opinion on what community engagement in Raleigh should look like has changed. I am proud to have supported and voted for the Office of Community Engagement and the restoration of CACs.
12. If there is anything else you would like to address, please do so here.
Wake County is growing quickly, and rapid growth creates challenges around housing affordability, transportation, public services, and quality of life. Meeting those challenges requires both experience and a willingness to keep learning.
I bring a track record of local governance experience, delivering results for Wake County’s largest city. I’ve also worked closely with Wake County on issues that cross municipal boundaries, like adopting a nondiscrimination ordinance and implementing the Raleigh CARES alternative response program, an initiative I spearheaded when I was first elected.
I also recognize that county government is broader than city government, with different responsibilities. In areas less familiar to my City Council work, I’ve made a point to seek additional training and experience. For example, I was a member of the Hunt State Policy Fellows Program, where I worked with other leaders across North Carolina to better understand local policy and funding challenges affecting public education.
If elected to the Wake County Commission, I will bring a prove track record, experience making difficult decisions, and a willingness to engage and learn. Wake County is a great place to live and work, to raise a family, educate our children, and enjoy our wonderful parks and greenways. I want to continue the hard work required to keep us moving in the right direction.