Newly elected Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell shares her plans for the city of nearly half a million people.
Cowell, who takes office on Dec. 2, won the election over Paul Fitts, Eugene Myrick, Terrance (Truth) Ruth and James Shaughnessy IV.
In an exclusive interview with Enlace Latino NC Cowell detailed her priorities and the challenges she will face as the new leader of a city experiencing rapid growth and significant transformation.
About Janet Cowell
Before elected mayorCowell served on the Raleigh City Council, the North Carolina Senate and as State Treasurer.
For three years, she was out of politics, leading Dix Park Conservancy as president and CEO. Now, she is returning to her public service roots by taking over as mayor of Raleigh.
Cowell attributes his dedication to public service to the influence of his parents. “My father was a Methodist minister and my mother was a teacher, so I grew up with a strong sense of service to others,” he recalled.
What attracts him most to local government is the “tangible aspect” of how it impacts people’s daily lives.
"Do you have clean water? Is your trash picked up? Is your neighborhood safe? These are the first experiences a person has of the city they live in," he explained.
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Cowell's three priorities
Cowell will be responsible for guiding Raleigh through a critical period of growth that has put pressure on housing prices, transportation infrastructure and the city's emergency services.
The mayor-elect identified housing affordability, public safety and preserving Raleigh’s natural environment as her key areas of focus.
The first priority issue was the lack of affordable housing .
“Providing more housing is a priority, and while this depends on the market, previous councils have allowed for a greater variety of housing types and more spaces across the city,” Cowell said. “We will continue that work and place even greater emphasis on affordable housing and how to secure those units.”
Secondly, Cowell said to prioritize the public security .
“The feeling of being safe in the city, no matter what area you're in, also includes concerns about homelessness, seeing encampments around the city, as well as mental health issues and social needs that the city, county, and state need to address.”
Finally, she stressed the importance of preserve the nature .
"How do we protect our trees? Also, how do we take care of our streams, especially after events like Hurricane Helene, which occurred during this campaign, highlighting the importance of resilience and the ability to cope with the increasingly large and destructive storms we are experiencing."
What is your plan for affordable housing?
While the mayor-elect does not have the power to enforce laws on affordable housing construction — that falls to the North Carolina General Assembly — she has signaled that much of her job will be to provide incentives and subsidies for the creation of more affordable housing.
“It’s about finding different sources of subsidies that don’t result in large property tax increases,” Cowell said. “The subsidy per unit could be $100,000 or $50,000, which are not insignificant amounts.”
Cowell proposes using tax increment financing, a mechanism that has already been used successfully in Durham and Charlotte.
“When significant public investments are made, a district is created. When property values increase due to those investments, a portion of that increase is captured and can be used as a subsidy for affordable housing,” Cowell explained.
Through this strategy, Cowell aims to keep the city's development sustainable by creating more affordable housing. This prevents price increases from displacing low-income residents.
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Solutions for homeless people
As the city continues to grow, issues of housing affordability and homelessness remain a major concern.
“The city of Raleigh hosted an entire forum on affordable housing, where a professor explained that it’s not necessarily addiction or mental health issues, but housing affordability that’s one of the main factors in why people are homeless,” Cowell said.
Cowell spoke of a pilot program, directed by Lotus Campaign, which will move people in encampments into supportive housing, rather than relying on shelters. This initiative, based on a successful model in Houston, seeks to provide permanent housing and break the cycle of temporary shelters.
She also stressed the importance of collaborating with the faith community.
“I spent a lot of time on the campaign trail meeting with different congregations, so I really hope there are innovative and new ways to address this issue as well,” Cowell said. “I appreciate some of the existing services to help people with immediate needs in shelters and overnight, but we’re going to have to adopt many different approaches, many pilots, and many partnerships to address the more than 1,500 homeless people out there.”
Safer and more frequent public transport
Cowell stressed that she is seeking to improve the city's public transport system, especially the frequency of routes and the safety of users.
In a morning conversation with former Mayor Charles Meeker, Cowell said she discussed this issue, exchanging ideas on how to balance transportation coverage across the borough.
Although she doesn't have a definitive proposal yet, she said that she is exploring the possibility of implementing an on-demand service in the outlying areas. So perhaps more resources can be allocated to frequent routes and then look for ways to address those outside the city.
“I'd also like to see if we can work more with public schools on initiatives like student support, so that children can use the existing bus system while still feeling safe and secure,” Cowell added.
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Public security
Cowell stressed the importance of urban design to improve safety and a sense of belonging in the city. She explained that planning public spaces, with gardens and shops, improves safety by increasing the presence of people on the streets.
“I'm a firm believer in the design of cities. The more visible the activity is on the streets, the more eyes there are watching, which creates a sense of security for the community,” she said.
Cowell stressed that her approach is not punitive but preventative, and highlighted the need to provide more constructive opportunities for the city's youth.
Response on HB 1 0
On her position on HB 10, a new state law requiring local sheriffs to cooperate with ICECowell affirmed her commitment to comply with federal and state laws.
“A new law was passed, and we also had a presidential election in which President Trump will be our next president, and he campaigned on these issues. So, as mayor, I need to understand these new laws, and I will abide by the laws passed by the federal government and the state government,” Cowell said.
"I will not try to circumvent those laws or do things that are not within the legal framework. On December 2, I will take an oath to uphold my oath of office, the Constitution, and the laws passed by the General Assembly," he added.
Looking Ahead
Raleigh is preparing to welcome its new mayor at her inauguration on December 2, 2024, at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium.
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