Mayor Baldwin, Mary Black Share Parting Words With Raleigh City Council

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Good morning, readers.

For the Raleigh City Council, it’s the end of an era—namely, the Baldwin Era.

Outgoing mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin presided over her last-ever city council meeting last week, capping off 15 years of service to the city. In that time, she developed a reputation as an effective, tenacious leader—abrasive, impressive, or a bit of both, depending who you asked.

Baldwin’s detractors accused her of being willfully un-transparent and overly cozy with developers, while her supporters celebrated her leadership on affordable housing and Missing Middle density reforms. In 2019, the INDY dubbed her “The Notorious M.A.B.”

“You give a lot,” Baldwin said at last week’s meeting. “You take a lot of abuse. But there’s also incredible satisfaction in making a difference.”

Raleigh’s mayor-elect Janet Cowell, who won in a landslide with 60 percent of the vote, campaigned on a message of staying the course, promising to improve upon the foundation Baldwin laid. Cowell’s swearing-in is scheduled for December 2 at 5:30 p.m. in the Meymandi Concert Hall. 

Also departing the council is one-term District A representative Mary Black. An advocate for tenants’ rights, workers’ rights, and climate justice, Black was unafraid to break from the pack on various issues during her two years on council. During her reelection campaign, which she ultimately lost to former Raleigh planning director Mitchell Silver, Black expressed ambivalence about serving a second term, having faced racism and personal attacks during her first.

“I’m very happy to no longer be an elected official,” Black said at the meeting. “I do, however, feel a loss for the issues that I wanted to dedicate more time to.”

Baldwin and Black used their bully pulpit one last time to share candid thoughts about Raleigh’s future, leaving their colleagues with words of advice for next term.

Read the full story here and have a good Tuesday.

—Chloe

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Durham

Nate DiMeo, creator of the podcast Memory Palace and now a new book based on it, will stop at Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies next week on a book tour.

Wake

St. Augustine’s College will lease some of its real estate to a Florida-based sports stadium development firm, which will help it bring in $70 million over the next several months. The cash-strapped HBCU has laid off 67 staff members and is working to reduce expenses; it recently took out a high-interest $7 million loan. 

Orange

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce has created a new position to support minority-owned businesses.

North Carolina

Project Kitty Hawk, UNC’s online learning nonprofit, has returned $102,000 in federal grant money for various unallowable expenses.

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