City Council

Raleigh City Council encourages citizen input. One of the ways to provide such input is to petition to address the City Council during a Council meeting.

Petition To Appear Before City Council: To schedule an appearance before Council please submit a Request & Petition of Citizens to City of Raleigh Council form to the City Clerk by 12 p.m. on Tuesday two weeks preceding the scheduled Council meeting. Additional support information should be submitted along with the request. The request form contains completion and submission directions. It is not necessary to submit a request to speak during scheduled public hearings.

The City Council is Raleigh's governing body, consisting of eight members who are elected for two-year terms. Three of the members, including the mayor, are elected at large, while the other members are elected from five districts. The City Council sets City policy, enacts laws and adopts the City budget each year.

Mission Statement

• We are a 21st Century City of Innovation focusing on environmental, cultural and economic sustainability.
• We conserve and protect our environmental resources through best practices and cutting edge conservation and stewardship, land use, infrastructure and building technologies.
• We welcome growth and diversity through policies and programs that will protect, preserve and enhance Raleigh's existing neighborhoods, natural amenities, rich history, and cultural and human resources for future generations.
• We lead to develop an improved neighborhood quality of life and standard of living for all our citizens.
• We work with our universities, colleges, citizens and regional partners to promote emerging technologies, create new job opportunities and cultivate local businesses and entrepreneurs.
• We recruit and train a 21st Century staff with the knowledge and skill sets to carry out this mission, through transparent civic engagement and providing the very best customer service to our current citizens in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.

Strategic Plan

On April 14, 2015, City Council adopted the Strategic Plan which includes six key focus areas:

• Arts and Cultural Resources;
• Economic Development and Innovation;
• Growth and Natural Resources;
• Organizational Excellence; and
• Transportation and Transit.

Learn about the Strategic Plan