Durham Dispatch

Image credit: YouTube page of City of Durham [ 1, timestamp 38:00 ] As reported in the last issue of PARADE , the City-County Planning Department is now engaged in a complete rewrite of Durham’s zoning and development regulations, the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). An initial draft of the new code was released at the end of September and portends big changes, especially for traditional neighborhoods. Under the current UDO, adopted in 2006, residential neighborhoods are regulated by a number of districts which recognized varying lots sizes and types of housing. In Old West Durham, most property is zoned Residential Urban (RU) for smaller lots. In Watts-Hillandale, some property is zoned RU, and others are classified as Residential Suburban (RS), specifically RS-8 and RS-10, which require slightly larger lots. All of these zoning designations allow single family homes, duplexes, and accessory dwelling units. Under the ‘small lot option’, all of these lots can be subdivided and redeveloped into 25-foot lots as small as 2,000 sq. ft. District standards of current UDO. Image credit: Engage Durham [ 2, slides 23-24 ] The draft UDO would place Old West Durham, Watts-Hillandale, and almost every other neighborhood in the city into a single zone called Residential District (RD). Under the proposed RD zone, three different development scenarios are envisioned. The first scenario would allow a traditional single-family home with one or two units and an accessory dwelling unit. The buildings on the lot could cover 50 percent of the lot’s surface area and could be three stories high.    The second scenario would allow a separate dwelling unit of up to 1,200 sq. ft. for every 1,250 sq. ft. of lot area. Like the ‘small lot option’ allowed in current UDO, the maximum footprint for a house under this scenario would be 800 sq. ft., but unlike the current rules, each house could be three stories tall and there could be more of them. For a typical 5000 ft. neighborhood lot, this means the traditional home on the lot might be replaced with four or more separate units depending on lot depth, building layout, and setbacks.   The third scenario in the new UDO would allow a traditional neighborhood lot to be redeveloped with apartment buildings containing one unit for every 625 sq. ft. of lot area. That might result in more than ten apartment units on a typical Old West Durham or Watts-Hillandale lot. Up to 70 percent of the lot area could be covered by buildings. The buildings could be three stories tall. Things like setbacks and street, side, and rear yard requirements for development in all three RD development patterns are generally less than those imposed by today’s rules.   So far, only the regulatory outlines of RD and other zoning categories contained in the proposed UDO have been roughed in. Things like parking, open space, tree requirements, stormwater controls, and lighting rules have yet to be laid out. Questions abound:   ·      What will become of development plans negotiated between developers and the public? ·      What about historic preservation and protecting neighborhood character? ·      What about affordable housing? ·      Who will benefit from the redevelopment the new code encourages? ·      Will the new UDO require developers to build small, market entry homes in new developments?   State law allows this, but Durham has never discussed it. Some critics are worried that the new rules favor redevelopment of existing affordable neighborhoods with more expensive new dwellings accelerating gentrification and displacement. Still others perceive that the new code favors rental housing over homeownership and worry about the consequences that will have for wealth distribution in Durham. For most Americans, intergenerational family wealth depends upon owning a home. Once a lot that held an affordable single-family home is redeveloped into an apartment building, the property is forever unavailable for families reaching for the bottom rung of the wealth ladder.   The draft UDO can be reviewed on the city’s Engage Durham  website. A schedule of engagement meetings is also posted there. A final draft of the new code is supposed to be ready after the first of the year. This article was first published by PARADE, the shared newsletter for Old West Durham and Watts-Hillandale neighborhoods. Work Cited “New UDO Oct 22 Virtual Community Meeting.” YouTube page of City of Durham , 30 Oct. 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIzQ-FexhxY . “Unified Development Ordinance, Code Audit and Approach.” Engage Durham , 1 May 2024, https://engagedurham.com/DocumentCenter/View/601/Durham-New-UDO-Audit-and-Approach-Presentation-JCCPC-20240501.

Damage from Hurricane Helene in NC mountains. Image credit: New York Times More than 200 businesses and nonprofit groups have now joined prominent climate scientists in pressing North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein to challenge Duke Energy’s huge expansion of fossil fuels and suppression of renewable power. In a letter sent to Stein today, the groups said Trump policies that will accelerate catastrophic climate change make it crucial for the governor to press Duke Energy to stop expanding fossil fuel use. Duke Energy, headquartered in North Carolina, is one of the world’s worst climate polluters. “Your leadership could help inspire other states to realize they must also directly contest the climate-wrecking actions of corporate polluters in our midst,” the letter said. “You must be clear with the public, corporate leaders and state policy makers that the time is now for us to finally make the dramatic changes that climate scientists say we desperately need.” The letter was signed by 71 North Carolina community groups and businesses, adding to some 160 groups endorsing a similar appeal in March. “Now, more than ever, we need strong local and state action to combat climate change,” said Mark Marcoplos, a leader in the green building community and former local elected official. “Stopping Duke Energy’s anti-climate policies would be a huge step in the direction of less climate chaos.” In an April letter, 61 scientists also wrote to Stein: “We implore you to lead in the transition away from fossil fuels and to the renewable, resilient, equitable, affordable, and sustainable energy future that humanity desperately needs.” The scientists said a genuine transition to renewable power by such a significant corporate polluter would bolster global efforts to avert full-blown climate, economic and social chaos. “As attorney general, Stein contested Duke Energy’s gas expansion, suppression of solar and rate hikes,” said Jim Warren, director of NC WARN. “Now, as governor, he’s been pushing to assist communities devastated by Helene and Chantal, but seems to be dodging the reality that Charlotte-based Duke Energy is a leading driver of global climate change. So far, the governor won’t even admit that North Carolina is making climate change worse instead of better. That simply has to change.” Today’s letter suggests two commonsense steps Stein can take to begin weaning North Carolina off fossil fuels while helping communities that are facing more intense and more frequent weather disasters: Champion installation of solar power and battery storage on critical public facilities such as fire/rescue stations, medical facilities and buildings used as shelters during severe weather and outages. Prioritize communities most vulnerable to power outages and other harm from fossil fuel-driven extreme weather. This would also reduce regional power demand during normal conditions. Require data centers and other large power-using facilities to maximize solar power on rooftops, parking areas, lawns and south-, west- and east-facing walls, along with battery storage. This should be a standard part of investing in new facilities, which receive large taxpayer subsidies. NC WARN and other critics say there is a huge amount of misleading hype about the need for new data centers. These steps would help protect communities during storms and power outages and create good solar power jobs. They also would help eliminate Duke Energy’s justification for building fracked gas and nuclear power plants – projects that would cause utility bills to soar while the climate crisis worsens. “The governor can be a climate leader at a time when this country and this planet desperately need this kind of courage,” said Jean Su, director of the Center for Biological Diversity’s energy justice program. “Duke Energy’s reckless expansion of fossil gas is saddling North Carolinians with skyrocketing utility bills and deadlier extreme weather. Politicians need to step up and take on the fossil fuel industry before more lives are lost.” Duke Energy has one of the largest planned gas buildouts of any utility this decade and has announced it would consider delaying the retirement of its coal fleet in response to the Trump administration’s climate protection rollbacks. The corporation generates only 1.4% (pg. 45) of its power from solar. A December lawsuit brought by the town of Carrboro, N.C., against Duke Energy says its top executives have misled the public for decades about climate science and the health harms from the corporation’s increased reliance on coal and gas. That deception continues to this day and has fooled many into thinking this state is on the right track, the groups told Stein. This article was first published by NC WARN .

From left to right: Ashley Robbins, Shanetta Burris, and Mark Anthony-Middleton In the Ward Two race for the Durham city council, the incumbent Mark-Anthony Middleton is facing challengers Shanetta Burris and Ashley Robbins. The contest can be viewed through the lens of key issues that have recently divided the council such as development issues, city worker wages, and the Gaza ceasefire resolution. Mayor pro tempore Middleton was first elected to council in 2017 and serves as the pastor of Abundant Hope Christian Church. Burris previously ran for council in 2023 and has a background in political nonprofits such as Supermajority, Lillian’s List, and the Black Voters Matter Fund. Robbins is a graduate assistant at NC Central University and an assistive technology manager at Wake Tech Community College. Development The main division on Durham city council is a 4-3 split on annexation and rezoning requests submitted by property developers. The two blocs disagree on how hearings should be used to advocate for benefits such as affordable housing from developers and about the desirability of unaffordable, environmentally damaging, auto-centric suburban sprawl. The council majority consists of Middleton as well as Javiera Caballero, Carl Rist, and mayor Leonardo Williams. In 2024, Middleton and Williams voted to approve 100 percent of the annexations and zoning changes that developers asked for, according to Bull City Public Investigators . Durham city council votes in 2024 on zoning changes and consolidated annexations Image credit: BCPI The council minority is made up of Nate Baker, Chelsea Cook, and DeDreana Freeman. Roughly speaking, this group votes against one-third of developer requests, citing reasons such as a company not providing enough benefits, or a project not following Durham's Comprehensive Plan. Since Baker, Cook, and Freeman are a minority bloc, their opposition cannot stop annexations or rezonings in most cases. Durham has annexed around 11 square miles of outlying land since 2017 [ 1 ]. Critics have warned that as suburban sprawl fills in these areas, it will " produce an initial sugar high of economic activity, but [leave the city] hollowed out and fragile" . Developers will make enormous profits with little risk, but " local governments get the bill. Sprawling developments create long-term infrastructure liabilities [such as] roads, water lines, sewer systems, schools, fire protection ... that far exceed the revenue they generate". If elected, Burris would likely join the council minority on development votes. She has said, “Time and again, rezoning and annexation decisions favor developers over community interests – regardless of coalition diversity, size, or the facts presented” and “the city council must use its power of discretionary review to demand our fair share” [ 2 ]. Property developers and the city council should have a constructive but oppositional relationship. Understandably, developers are focused on making money. Durham residents, represented by the city council, have other concerns such as housing affordability, living in a well-planned city, and so on. Yet, only the council minority argues the public interest in development hearings. Members of the council majority often side with developers and spend their allotted time criticizing the attending public and council minority for negotiating benefits from the companies. Of the council majority, only Rist shows the minimal level of civility needed to maintain professional relationships. A recent annexation case dealt with 300 acres between Durham and Wake counties. During the hearing on the Durham Gateway at Brier Creek, the council minority called the project and other similar cases car-dependent sprawl. Middleton bristled at the label ‘car-centric’ and said he viewed transportation as a matter of personal choice: “If you’re concerned about car-centric sprawl ... and you never ride the bus, never walk anywhere, never ride your bike, use a skateboard or whatever, or a scooter, then you’re living a car-centric lifestyle” [ 3, timestamp 3:49:00 ]. In contrast, Burris has stated that city planning contributes to making walkability and bike-ability feasible choices. She has said, “As our city continues to grow, it is vital to reduce our dependence on motor vehicles, and implementing fare-free bus services can serve as an excellent incentive” [ 4 ]. Middleton voted to annex the Durham Gateway along with Caballero, Rist, and Williams. Baker and Cook voted against and Freeman was absent. As a progressive city under a right-wing state and federal government, Durham faces many legal barriers to solving its housing crisis. On this score, Burris has said, “the council should be proactive in utilizing vacant city-owned properties to create affordable housing” but that since “the median development cost per unit has remained steady at $250,000 … it is evident that our community will need to rely on capital from both the private and public sectors” [ 4 ]. Negotiations for this type of public-private partnership can be time-consuming and difficult. For example, plans to redevelop the former police HQ at 505 West Chapel Hill Street have caused the council headaches for years, but such projects still hold promise since ownership allows the city to dictate more desireable terms . The former police HQ is city-owned, so housing units built there could be rent stabilized and very affordable. In August 2024, debate over 505 West Chapel Hill Street scrambled the usual factions. Caballero and Rist joined Baker, Cook, and Freeman in voting to require either “substantial additional affordable units or an annual cap on rent increases not to exceed six percent” [ 5, timestamp 1:51:00 ]. Williams was absent. In isolation, Middleton argued and voted against the proposal to limit yearly rent increases to six percent: “I don’t know the math or science behind that number. It might need to be higher than six percent. I mean where did that number come from? I don’t know the calculus or the equation that came up with that number… It might need to be nine percent or eight percent” [ 5, timestamp 1:36:00 ]. Robbins, a socialist candidate with an unfiltered style, talked about her views on development in an Indyweek questionnaire. She said, “It’s really crucial to break up the pro-development bloc on city council. They are selling the city off and pushing poor and working-class people further and further out. It feels like a second wave of urban renewal is about to accelerate” [ 6 ]. City Workers City workers in Durham were subjected to real terms pay cuts for at least two years after COVID hit. As the FY23-24 budget was debated, the council split 4-3 on how quickly wages should be raised back to ‘normal’. Many municipal employees were already not paid a living wage before the pandemic [ 7 ] . Step raises for city workers were skipped in FY20-21 and low in FY21-22. During this period of wage austerity, the council majority poured money into Durham’s rainy-day fund, which rose about $25 million over three fiscal years [ 8, pg. 161 ] . In June 2023, as the FY23-24 budget was debated, former mayor Elaine O’Neal introduced a motion to give firefighters ‘reclassifications’ that had been skipped during COVID. This would have set aside $8 million for pay raises. O’Neal’s motion was voted down 4-3. Middleton as well as Caballero, Williams, and former council member Jillian Johnon voted against. Freeman, O’Neal, and former council member Dr. Monique Holsey-Hyman voted in favor [ 7 ]. Middleton called O’Neal’s motion “posturing” . During that time, Burris was running her 2023 campaign for the Ward Two seat. She supported the FY23-24 firefighter reclassifications, a position that contributed to a UE Local 150 endorsement. The city workers union endorsed Burris again in 2025. Shanetta has also been endorsed by the NC AFL-CIO, the state's largest trade union federation. In Sept. 2023, city workers in the Department of Solid Waste Management held a ‘stand down’ to protest years of low wages and low raises. They refused to collect trash and recycling, forcing the city to rely on contractor scabs. Image credit: Labor Notes Even before the two years of wage austerity, many city workers had to pick up second jobs, move outside Durham for cheaper rent, or quit their jobs. Vacancies in many city departments began to rise. In Oct. 2023, the Department of Public Works had a 69 percent vacancy rate [ 9 ] . The ‘stand down’ was successful, forcing the city to cave and pay bonuses in the short term. In the middle term, UE Local 150 has won major pay increases and has been strengthened by improved morale and public support. During her 2023 run, Burris said, “If elected, during the FY24-25 budget cycle, I would work with my colleagues on council and the city manager to ensure that we devise a strategy for addressing issues regarding the lack of step pay for city employees” [ 10 ]. Middleton and the council majority remained opposed to many UE Local 150 demands during the FY24-25 budget cycle, according to the union. Specifically, they would not support reclassification of Solid Waste workers, modifying the Living Wage Ordinance to pay workers at least $25 an hour, or changing the calculation of annual steps to be fairer towards lower paid workers [ 11 ] . In 2025, Indyweek asked Burris the most important thing done by Durham city council in the past year. She said, “I was glad to see that the city council raised the minimum wage for city employees from $19.58 to $21.90 per hour” [ 4 ]. Robbins hasn't made statements directly related to recent disputes over Durham city workers. However, her social media makes it obvious that she supports unions and working class causes. After a Durham Rising forum on Aug. 28, Robbins posted, “Support the  Durham Rising campaign and labor organizations such as  UE Local 150,  Union of Southern Service Workers, and the National Domestic Workers Alliance fighting for workers’ rights!” [ 12 ] Gaza In Feb. 2024, Middleton and Williams voted against the Gaza ceasefire resolution that passed 5-2. Baker, Caballero, Cook, Freeman, and Rist voted in favor. Since Oct. 2023, the US has provided decisive support for Israel’s ongoing genocide against the Palestinians of Gaza. Middleton was flown to Israel for a visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Knesset in Dec. 2022. The propaganda trip was sponsored by the America-Israel Friendship League [ 13 ]. In Sept. 2025, a new nonprofit called Yes for Durham endorsed Middleton. The group was initially registered to a building owned by Ari Medoff, a pro-Israel healthcare CEO. Yes for Durham also endorsed Medoff's wife, Diana, who is running for the council seat in Ward Three [ 14 ]. The Ward Three incumbent is Chelsea Cook, who is Jewish and supported the ceasefire resolution. Burris has not made any public statements about Gaza. Among the Ward Two candidates, Robbins has by far the most outspoken record on Palestinian human rights. On Sept. 3, her Instagram account shows her wearing a keffiyeh; on Aug. 11 she criticizes public figures who have been silent on Gaza, Sudan, and Congo; and on July 26 she reposted a video of Chris Smalls, an American labor organizer who joined a flotilla to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Anti-genocide protest in Durham Central Park. Work Cited Durham just agreed to annex 300+ acres in Brier Creek. Here’s what it means. (2025, September 4).  Raleigh News & Observer .  https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article311950834.html Shanetta Burris. (2025, July 24).  Hayti Heritage Square Rezoning . Instagram.  https://www.instagram.com/p/DMgV-ljOeSG Durham City Council. (2025, September 2).  YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjXXyRruhzM Durham City Council, Ward 2: Shanetta Burris. (2025, September 9).  INDY Week . https://indyweek.com/news/durham/2025-elections-durham-city-council-shanetta-burris/ Durham City Council . (2024, August 19).  YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfmAc3Q7LMQ Durham City Council, Ward 2: Ashley N. Robbins. (2025, September 10).  INDY Week . https://indyweek.com/news/durham/2025-elections-durham-city-council-ashley-robbins/ Durham’s budget passes at fiery meeting. What each city council member had to say. (2023, June 21).  Raleigh News & Observer .  https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article276583981.html Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2023. City of Durham , https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/53931/CITY-OF-DURHAM-FY23-ACFR---FINAL North Carolina sanitation workers strike for $5K bonuses. (2023, October 6). Labor Notes . https://labornotes.org/2023/10/north-carolina-sanitation-workers-strike-5k-bonuses INDY Staff. (2023, September 20).  Durham City Council At-Large: Shanetta Burris. INDY Week . https://indyweek.com/news/elections-news/durham-city-council-at-large-shanetta-burris/ UE Local 150 (2024, June 23). Durham City workers win largest wage increases in many years but fight for fair pay continues.  Durham Dispatch .  https://www.durhamdispatch.com/post/durham-city-workers-win-largest-wage-increases-in-many-years-but-fight-for-fair-pay-continues Ashley Robbins / Bull City Vanguard. (2025, September 9).  Durham Rising Candidate Forum . Instagram.  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOY_kf9DrUt/ Durham official headed to Israel on government-sponsored visit of Black leaders. (2022, December 3).  Raleigh News & Observer .  https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article269533217.html Anonymous Durham political group has ties to candidate it endorsed. (2025, September 16).  INDY Week .   https://indyweek.com/news/durham/yes-for-durham/

Old Farm neighborhood in Durham after Tropical Storm Chantal. Image credit: New York Times Dear Governor Stein, As scientists, we write with grave concern about the state of our climate system and the consequences for life on Earth. We are barreling toward climate catastrophe, with climate harms already claiming lives, species, and the places we call home while simultaneously creating unprecedented financial challenges at multiple levels of society. Last year’s devastating hurricanes wiped away entire communities and left millions of families without life-saving power and water for days. The most recent Los Angeles wildfires leveled homes and decimated livelihoods. These disasters are only getting worse and costlier, fueled by utilities and industry’s entrenched use of fossil fuels despite their harms. It is therefore with utmost urgency that we call on you to take swift action to stop Duke Energy Corporation—the third largest corporate polluter in the country, with one of the largest planned gas buildouts of any utility [1] from delaying the necessary and climate-saving transition from fossil fuels toward a renewable energy future. We urge you to: Speak out publicly opposing Duke Energy’s reliance on fossil fuels and obstruction of clean energy solutions, and help the public understand that North Carolina is on the wrong track. Use your executive authority to get Duke Energy on track with rapidly transitioning to renewable energy, including North Carolina’s Emergency Management Act. The year 2024 was the hottest on record, and for the first time the planet surpassed 1.5 degrees Celsius warming, a redline set in the Paris Climate Agreement [2]. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [3], the United Nations [4], and the International Energy Agency [5] have all established that, to limit further global heating and climate catastrophe, the U.S. must stop fossil fuel expansion and phase out existing coal, oil, and gas production and use. On our current trajectory, the UN warns that we could experience 2.6 to 3.1 degrees Celsius of warming this century [6]. Yet, Duke Energy alarmingly plans to continue expanding gas-fired electricity generation. Methane leakage during the production, transport, and storage of methane for gas-fired electricity generation harms the climate since methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a warming potential more than 80 times greater than that of CO2 over 20 years [7]. Methane also severely impacts public health, especially for low-income communities and people of color, by exacerbating respiratory illnesses like asthma, and other life-threatening diseases [8]. We, as scientists, have been sounding the alarm for decades that the fossil fuel status quo could become a death knell for people and the planet. We have mobilized in cities across the world for the March for Science, petitioned elected leaders to stop fossil fuel expansion, and engaged in civil disobedience to challenge polluters and the financial institutions that enable them to harm our planet. With so much on the line, science demands that we take bold action now. In a historic move, the Town of Carrboro sued Duke Energy Corporation in the first-ever climate deception lawsuit against an electric utility for damages inflicted by the corporation's campaign to delay the transition from burning planet-heating fossil fuels [9]. Carrboro’s actions are a beacon of hope in these dark times and a reminder that, despite the Trump administration’s aggressive roll-backs of federal climate action local communities can and must step up to the plate to challenge mega-polluters who are undermining the transition to a renewable, safe, and sustainable energy future. As alleged in Carrboro’s lawsuit, Duke Energy executives have known since 1968 that burning coal, oil, and gas creates dangerous, climate-warming emissions that put our lives and climate in peril [10]. Instead of acting on these findings, the complaint asserts that Duke Energy helped lead a decades-long campaign to deny climate science and deceive the public about the impact fossil fuels have on the planet. As a result, Duke Energy was given license to continue building infrastructure and profiting off fossil fuels, potentially resulting in tens of millions in damages to Carrboro [11]. With similar impacts occurring across the country, the costs of extreme weather events have ballooned to $143 billion a year [12]. And if unchecked, the fossil fuel-driven climate emergency could cost the global economy an astronomical $178 trillion through 2070 [13]. The science is clear: fossil fuel emissions are heating the planet at an unprecedented rate and making it increasingly unlivable. Duke Energy’s leaders had a chance to end their role in the five-alarm fire we find ourselves in today. But they did not. Now is the moment for Duke Energy to pivot to real climate and energy resilient solutions like rooftop and community-based solar with battery storage, energy efficiency, demand response, and microgrids. These alternatives are readily available and capable of withstanding extreme weather and keeping the lights on for families [14]. Local solar-plus-storage is also the fastest, cheapest and most equitable tool we have to speed the phase-out of fossil fuel-burning power plants, lower power bills, create good jobs and improve public health [15]. You have the power to confront Duke Energy for all they have done and continue to do to block climate action and entrench the fossil fuel status quo. We implore you to lead in the transition away from fossil fuels and to the renewable, resilient, equitable, affordable, and sustainable energy future that humanity desperately needs. Sincerely, Initial Signatories Paul A. Baker, PhD Professor Emeritus, Division of Earth and Climate Sciences Duke University Dale Evarts, MPA Former Director, Climate and International Group US Environmental Protection Agency Drew Shindell, PhD Nicholas Professor of Earth Sciences Duke University Michael E. Mann, PhD Presidential Distinguished Professor Director, Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media University of Pennsylvania Additional Signatories Rose Abramoff, PhD Assistant Professor of Forest Science University of Maine Ben Allen, PhD Associate Professor of Mathematics Emmanuel College Cort Anastasio, PhD Professor University of California, Davis Viney P. Aneja, PhD Professor North Carolina State University Phoebe Barnard, PhD, MS Professor University of Washington Paula Braveman, MPH, MD Professor Emeritus University of California, San Francisco Claire Broome, MD Retired Assistant Surgeon General US Public Health Service John Bruno, PhD Distinguished Professor University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Robert N. Coats, PhD Research Associate Hydrologist Anne C. Cohen, PhD Retired UCLA Professor of Biology Fellow, California Academy of Sciences Carlos Davidson, PhD Professor Emeritus of Env. Studies San Francisco State University Kathryn De Master, PhD Associate Professor University of California, Berkeley Eugenie J. Dubnau, PhD Assistant Professor New York University Andrea Dutton, PhD Professor of Geoscience University of Wisconsin-Madison Ryan E. Emanuel, PhD Associate Professor of Hydrology Duke University Gabriel Filippelli, PhD Chancellor’s Professor Indiana University John Fleming, PhD Senior Scientist Center for Biological Diversity Laurence Fuortes, MPH, MD Professor Emeritus of Medicine University of Iowa Kenneth Gould, PhD Professor of Sociology City University of New York Robert M. Gould, MD Adjunct Assistant Professor University of California, San Francisco William J. Gutowski, Jr., PhD Professor Emeritus of Meteorology Iowa State University Ali Hadjarian, PhD Climate Activist and Data Scientist Independent John Harte, PhD Professor University of California, Berkeley Harry Hochheiser, PhD Professor, Biomedical Informatics University of Pittsburgh Karen Holl, PhD Distinguished Professor University of California, Santa Cruz Robert Howarth, PhD Atkinson Professor of Ecology & Environmental Biology Cornell University Melissa Ingala, PhD Assistant Professor Fairleigh Dickinson University Brian Inouye, PhD Biologist Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory David W. Inouye, PhD Professor Emeritus University of Maryland Kyle Isaacson, PhD Formulation Scientist Phospholutions Mark Z. Jacobson, PhD Professor Stanford University David Klein, PhD Emeritus Professor of Mathematics California State University, Northridge Grace Lindsay, PhD Assistant Professor New York University Dave Love, PhD Research Professor Johns Hopkins Edward Maibach, PhD, MPH Distinguished University Professor George Mason University Kathleen McAfee, PhD Professor Emerita San Francisco State University Roberta Millstein, PhD Professor Emerit University of California, Davis Chad Monk, MPH Senior VP, Programs & Public Policy National Health Foundation Susanne Moser, PhD Director Susanne Moser Research & Consulting Stephen S. Mulkey, PhD Lecturer University of Florida Dustin Mulvaney Professor San José State University Ted Neal, PhD Clinical Professor The University of Iowa Peter Nightingale, PhD Professor Emeritus of Physics University of Rhode Island Philip Nyhus, PhD Professor of Environmental Studies Colby College Suzanne O'Connell, PhD Professor Wesleyan University Mark Peifer, PhD Michael Hooker Distinguished Professor University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Walter A. Robinson, PhD Professor of Atmospheric Sciences North Carolina State University Avery Russell, PhD Assistant Professor Missouri State University Ted Schettler, MD, MPH Science Director Science and Environmental Health Network William H. Schlesinger, PhD Dean Emeritus, Nicholas School of the Environment Duke University Kevin Schultz, PhD Associate Professor of Physics Hartwick College Juliet Schor, PhD Professor Boston College Mack Shelley, PhD Professor Iowa State University Dave Shukla, MURP Operations Long Beach Alliance for Clean Energy Thomas T. Veblen, PhD Distinguished Professor Emeritus University of Colorado, Boulder Dawn J. Wright, PhD Professor of Geography and Oceanography Oregon State University Victoria Zelin-Cloud, MS Cofounder Possible Planet This article was first published by NC WARN and the Center for Biological Diversity . Work Cited 1. Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Greenhouse 100 Polluters Index (2024 Report, Based on 2022 Data), https://peri.umass.edu/greenhouse-100-polluters-index-current ; Fogler, Cara and Ver Beek, Noah, The Dirty Truth About Utility Climate Pledges, Sierra Club (October 2023), https://coal.sierraclub.org/sites/nat-coal/files/dirty_truth_report_2023.pdf . 2. Barden, Roxana, Temperatures Rising: NASA Confirms 2024 Warmest Year on Record, National Aeronautics and Space Association (January 10, 2025), https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/temperatures-rising-nasa-confirms-2024-warmest-year-on-record/ . 3. IPCC, Synthesis Report of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), https://www.ipcc.ch/ar6-syr/ (“Projected CO2 emissions from existing fossil fuel infrastructure without additional abatement would exceed the remaining carbon budget for 1.5°C (high confidence).” 4. SEI, IISD, ODI, E3G, and UNEP, The Production Gap: The discrepancy between countries’ planned fossil fuel production and global production levels consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C or 2°C (2020), http://productiongap.org/ ; SEI, IISD, ODI, E3G, and UNEP, The Production Gap Report 2021 (2021), http://productiongap.org/2021report . 5. International Energy Agency, Pathway to critical and formidable goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 is narrow but brings huge benefits, according to IEA special report (May 2021), https://www.iea.org/news/pathway-to-critical-and-formidable-goal-of-net-zero-emissions-by-2050-isnarrow-but-brings-huge-benefits ; Statement by Fatih Birol, the IEA’s executive director: “If governments are serious about the climate crisis, there can be no new investments in oil, gas and coal, from now – from this year,” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/18/no-new- investment-infossil-fuels-demands-top-energy-economist . 6. Weise, Zia and Mackenzie, Lucia, World on track for catastrophic 3 degrees Celsius warming, UN warns, Politico, (October 24, 2024), https://www.politico.eu/article/united-nations-emissions-gap-global-warming-dataclimate-change-report/ . 7. See Understanding Global Warming Potentials, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/understanding-global-warming-potentials . 8. Donaghy, Tim and Jiang, Charlie, Fossil Fuel Racism: How Phasing Out Oil, Gas, and Coal Can Protect Communities, Greenpeace, (April 13, 2021), https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Fossil-Fuel-Racism.pdf . 9. Town of Carrboro, Legal Climate Action, https://www.carrboronc.gov/3114/Legal-Climate-Action ; Noor, Dharna, Small North Carolina town sues energy ‘Goliath’ in historic climate action, The Guardian (December 4, 2024), https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/dec/04/carrboro-north-carolina-duke-energy-lawsuit . 10. Town of Carrboro v. Duke Energy Corporation (filed December 4, 2024), https://www.carrboronc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/15749/Complaint-Litigation- 11. Id. 12. Newman, Rebecca and Noy, Ilan, The global costs of extreme weather that are attributable to climate change, Nat Commun 14, 6103 (September 29, 2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41888-1 . 13. Deloitte, The Turning Point: A Global Summary, (June 20, 2022), https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/climate/global-turning-point.html . 14. Gilpin, Lyndsey, After the Hurricane, Solar Kept Florida Homes and a City’s Traffic Lights Running, Inside Climate News (September 15, 2017), https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15092017/after-hurricane-irmasolar-florida-homes-power-gird-out-city-traffic-lights-running/ ; Espada, Mariah, Solar Power is Helping Some Puerto Rico Homes Avoid Hurricane Fiona Blackouts, TIME (September 20, 2022), https://time.com/6215138/solar-power-puerto-rico-hurricane-fiona/ ; Peters, Adele, When Hurricane Helene hit, this disaster-proof Florida neighborhood kept the lights on, Fast Company (September 30, 2024), https://www.fastcompany.com/91199201/this-disaster-proof-floridaneighborhood-kept-the-lights-on ; Ramirez, Rachel, As parts of Florida went dark from Helene and Milton, the lights stayed on in this net-zero, storm-proof community, CNN (October 12, 2024), https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/12/climate/hurricane-milton-helene-florida-homes/index.html . 15. Crystal, Howard, et al., Rooftop-Solar Justice: Why Net Metering is Good For People and the Planet and Why Monopoly Utilities Want to Kill It, Center for Biological Diversity, (March 2023), https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/energy-justice/pdfs/Rooftop-Solar-Justice-Report-March-2023.pdf ; Department of Energy, Solar Energy Technologies Office, Solar Integration: Distributed Energy Resources and Microgrids, https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-integration-distributed-energyresources-and-microgrids ; Stout, Sherry, et al., Distributed Energy Planning for Climate Resilience, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (2018), https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy18osti/71310.pdf ; Hernandez, Rebecca R., et al., Techno–Ecological Synergies of Solar Energy for Global Sustainability, 2 Nat. Sustainability 560, 560–568 (2019), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-019-0309-z ; Al Weinrub & Denise Fairchild, Energy Democracy: Advancing Equity in Clean Energy Solutions, Island Press (2017); Massetti, Emanuele, et al., Environmental Quality and the U.S. Power Sector: Air Quality, Water Quality, Land Use and Environmental Justice, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (January 4, 2017), https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1339359 ; Bailey Damiani, Small-Scale Solar Installations Create 10-Times More Jobs per Megawatt than Utility-Scale Solar, Freeing Energy (September 8, 2021).

Image credit: Indyweek On Labor Day, around 50 people gathered at Queeny’s bar and restaurant to socialize with union members and community supporters. The event was co-sponsored by Triangle DSA and CAUSE, a union for Amazon workers. The “Worker’s Social” included speakers from CAUSE leaders such as Rev. Ryan Brown, “Ma Mary” Hill, Dr. Orin Starn, and others. CAUSE announced that it would soon begin a campaign in Durham to unionize Amazon warehouses. The union commented that Durham, a progressive bastion, would offer a more promising setting for ‘community unionism’. In February 2025, CAUSE lost a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election at the RDU1 warehouse in Garner, NC. It was the second major attempt to unionize an Amazon warehouse in the South after BHM1 in Bessemer, AL. During the run-up to the RDU1 election, Amazon was accused of using illegal tactics such as firing union leaders, including Rev. Brown and Dr. Starn. During Monday’s event, Triangle DSA promoted Emergency Workplace Organizing Committees (EWOC) and called for participation. EWOC offers resources and trainings to workers attempting to unionize. Mika Murphy, a Triangle DSA leader, also asked the Queeny’s crowd to raise a hand if they were already in a union and then asked who would volunteer as an EWOC trainer. Established during the COVID-19 pandemic, EWOC exists nationwide and represents a partnership between DSA and the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE). Durham has seen a series of recent victories for organized labor. In April 2025, the Durham Association of Educators (DAE) reached a “meet and confer” agreement with the Durham Board of Education. Public sector workers in North Carolina are not allowed to engage in collective bargaining due to GS 95-98, a Jim Crow-era state law. As a result, a “meet and confer” agreement” is the closest teachers can get to formal union recognition. In June 2025, the Durham city council unanimously passed a resolution supporting the right of Amazon workers to unionize with CAUSE. The "Worker's Social" was attended by Nate Baker, the first socialist elected to Durham city council. In August 2025, the REI Union made a breakthrough in negotiations with the outdoor retailer, taking a major step towards a first union contract. That is good news for REI Union Durham, which represents workers at the REI location in the Renaissance Center next to Southpoint Mall. REI Union Durham won its NLRB election in May 2023. Also in August 2025, the Duke Graduate Student Union (DGSU) announced that it had reached a tentative first union contract with Duke University. When academic workers voted on the proposed agreement, 99 percent voted in favor. The DGSU victory was achieved about two years after the union won its NLRB election in August 2023 with an 88 percent majority.

[Editor's correction: there were only two fiscal years with wage increases below the inflation rate. Updated and more accurate figures are available in this article.] After COVID struck, the annual raises given to Durham city workers were lower than the inflation rate for three years in a row. The period of real-terms pay cuts, given that wages were already low, devastated municipal employees and city departments. The worst case is the Department of Public Works, where 68 percent of positions are empty. Raises were skipped in FY20–21 and were unusually low in FY21–22. While raises were normal in FY22–23 they were still lower than inflation. In each of these fiscal years, the City Council added millions of dollars to Durham’s rainy day fund, which hit a record-high of $76.5 million in FY22–23. City workers have organized a response. Solid Waste workers, represented by UE Local 150, pulled off a successful strike in September 2023. The City Council will be deciding the FY24–25 budget in June 2024, and a progressive coalition is pushing them to raise city workers’ pay to $25 per hour. Wage Austerity, Vacancy Rates, Fiscal Conditions According to the US Inflation Calculator, inflation has been about 20 percent since 2020 [ 1 ]. That has overwhelmed the annual raises of Durham city workers, who are split into three groups — general employees, police, and firefighters. There is a fourth group of “open range” employees but this represents a smaller number of well-paid management and technical positions. The three main groups are in pretty much the same boat — the value of their wages has shrunk. Here is a quote about the situation for general employees in the Department of Public Works: “Over the past four years, wages for public works employees in Durham, who are overwhelmingly African-American, have increased by 15 percent while inflation has risen by 23 percent.” — Payday Report, September 2023 [ 2 ] Firefighters have been treated in almost the same way. Their pay has gone up 16 percent in the last four years. That is a four percent cut in real-terms pay, according to the US Inflation Calculator numbers. FY16–17 [ 3a, pg. 8 ], FY17–18 [ 3b, pg. 4 ], FY18–19 [ 3c, pg. 5 ], FY19–20 [ 3d, pg. 4 ], FY20–21 [ 3e, pg. 3 ], FY21–22 [ 3f, pg. 3 ], FY22–23 [ 3g, pg. 13 ], FY23–24 [ 3h, pg. 15 ] Recently, the City Council had an opportunity to mend fences with at least one group of workers. In June 2023, former Mayor Elaine O’Neal introduced a motion to give firefighters “reclassifications” that were skipped during COVID. The measure would have set aside $8 million to raise their wages. Council members DeDreanna Freeman, Monique Hosley-Hyman, and former mayor Elaine O’Neal voted in favor, but the motion was defeated by a four-member majority — Mark Antony-Middleton, Javiera Caballero, Jillian Johnson, and current mayor Leonardo Williams [ 4 ]. “I think they needed to know. Straight up,” Mayor O’Neal after the motion was voted down. “Sometimes, you can just make it simple.” Low pay and low raises have led to high vacancy rates in many city departments. The Department of Public Works has the worst rate of empty roles (68 percent), but Emergency Communications (23 percent), Police (21 percent), Solid Waste (11 percent), and Fire (9 percent) are also plagued by the issue. Public Works, 68 percent as of October 2023 [ 5 ] / Emergency Communications Center, 23 percent as of March 2024 [ 6 ] / Police, 21 percent as of March 2024 [ 7 ] / Solid Waste (collections positions*) [ 8 ], 11 percent as of March 2024 / Fire, nine percent as of August 2023 [ 9 ] While raises were withheld from city workers, tens of millions of dollars piled into Durham’s rainy day fund. City workers got no annual raise at all in FY20–21, so although inflation was quite low their wages still lost value. In the same year, Durham poured $9.9 million into the “general fund unassigned fund balance,” also known as the rainy day fund. The City Council’s move to freeze wages went against economic orthodoxy, which calls for higher public spending during crises to stimulate the weakened private sector. From a moral point of view, denying a raise to these essential workers was outrageous. In the course of their work, municipal employees exposed themselves and their families to huge risks and got a real-terms pay cut for their trouble. The next year, city workers got two to four percent raises, below the pre-COVID norm. Inflation spiked to seven percent, making FY21–22 the worst year of wage austerity. Meanwhile, the City Council added $11.5 million to the rainy day fund, the largest increase in six years. Whatever the City Council's intentions, their policy created a massive pool of money for whatever programs they wished to establish or fund, and did so on the backs of the city’s workforce. FY22–23 was the last year of real-terms pay cuts. Annual raises for city workers went back to the normal level, but 6.5 percent inflation erased the gains. Millions of dollars continued to flow into the rainy day fund, which reached an all-time peak of $76.5 million. FY16–17 [ 10a, pg. 156 ], FY17–18 [ 10a, pg. 157 ], FY18–19 [ 10a, pg. 157 ], FY19–20 [ 10a, pg. 157 ], FY20–21 [ 10a, pg. 157 ], FY21–22 [ 10a, pg. 24 ], FY22–23 [ 10b, pg. 5 ] Not all of it could really be spent. Durham prefers that the rainy day fund not fall below 16.75 percent of general fund spending, although the state only requires 13 percent. At the FY22–23 peak, the fund was $35.6 million above the minimum level. After June 2023, the $35.6 million excess in the rainy day fund started to drop — to $32 million, then $18 million, then $11 million. “The general fund has about $32 million in reserves above the money it needs to have on hand, according to the latest figures ... Nearly $14 million was allocated in the budget approved in July [2023], leaving about $18 million to work with.” — News and Observer, September 2023 [ 11 ] In October 2023, the City Council approved $1,000 to 5,000 bonuses in response to a strike by Solid Waste workers, a concession that cost $6.5 million [ 12 ]. That money could have been used earlier to give normal raises, probably avoiding the strike’s disruption to workers and the community. FY16–17 [ 3b, pg. 4 ], FY17–18 [ 3b, pg. 4 ], FY18–19 [ 3d, pg. 5 ], FY19–20 [ 3d, pg. 5 ], FY20–21 [ 3f, pg. 4 ], FY21–22 [ 3f, pg. 4 ], FY22–23 [ 3h, pg. 16 ], FY23–24 [ 3h, pg. 16 ] New Programs Established During Wage Austerity During the three years of wage austerity, the City Council started new programs like HEART, which stands for Holistic, Empathetic, Assistance, Response Teams (HEART). The program, established in July 2022, sends unarmed social workers to emergency calls that don’t require a police officer. The budget for the HEART program is currently $6.4 million, a sum that has grown quickly since the program was established [ 13 ]. HEART is a great concept that the City Council was right to create and fund. It is a serious answer to the demands for less militarized public safety that rose up during the Black Lives Matter movement. However, the timing of the program’s creation shows that City Council had money it was willing to spend on recurring annual expenditures that could have been used for city workers’ annual raises. Solid Waste - Solidarity Sparks Action Workers in the Department of Solid Waste Management conducted a "stand down" in September 2023 [ 5 ]. “They refused to load the city’s trucks, leaving trash and recycling bins at the curb, prompting the city to send independent contractors on their routes.” — News and Observer [ 12 ] Showing remarkable solidarity, the Solid Waste workers made demands on behalf of all city workers and not just themselves — that all city workers should get a $5,000 bonus, pay for work outside of their job title, and all temporary workers should be hired on a permanent basis [ 14 ]. The strike was technically illegal due to pro-corporate laws in North Carolina, but the City Council chose not to enforce the legislation. The Solid Waste workers went on to secure a partial victory. In October 2023, the City Council voted unanimously to give all city workers bonuses between $1,000 to 5,000, with larger sums given to those with lower pay [ 12 ]. Though a welcome development, the October 2023 bonus did not resolve the root problems of low pay and low rais es. The one-time payment will help workers pay some bills, but won't help recruit or retain employees. Unless those insufficient pay and raises are corrected in the F Y24– 25 budget, Durham will continue to lose skilled and experienced workers, with an effect on institutional memory that is not so easily repaired . Photo credit: UE Local 150 Emergency Comms The Durham Emergency Communications Center (DECC) answers 911 calls. As of February 2024, the department had a 23 percent vacancy rate, which sounds terrible but in fact is a huge improvement [ 6 ]. The rate of empty roles was 42 percent in August 2021 [ 15 ]. The problems in Emergency Comms, such as high turnover, could likely be solved by paying a living wage. New coverage about Emergency Comms may have been the first time many Durham residents learned that city departments were being hollowed out. On the night of August 18, 2021, six people were shot at McDougald Terrace. Residents that they’d called 911 six times before anyone answered, causing a scandal and forcing the mayor to apologize [ 16 ]. Emergency Comms has improved since then, but problems remain. An industry standard is that 911 call centers need to answer 90 percent of calls in ten seconds or less. Durham has not met that standard in any month since at least 2022. For example, in December 2023 the percent of calls answered in the proper time was 79.2 percent. However, DECC improved to 89.9 percent in February 2024, close to an acceptable level [ 6 ]. Image credit: Durham Emergency Communications Center [ 6 ] Positions at Emergency Comms do not pay well. New hires started with a salary of $39,000 as of January 2023 [ 17 ]. According to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, a worker in Durham needs to earn about $58,000 if their family is made up of two working adults and two children [ 18 ]. The wide gap between need and reality fuels a 65 percent turnover rate (as of June 2022) — three times the national average for 911 call centers [ 19 ]. “99 employees were hired to work at the DECC from fiscal year 2020 to fiscal year 2022, and during that same time frame, 81 employees quit.” — CBS 17, July 2022 [ 19 ] Fast turnover has simple causes like insufficient pay and raises. However, the problem manifests in complex ways. A few workers retire early, others change fields, or employees can be poached by cities that offer fair pay. Fire Department Firefighters at the Durham Fire Department are unionized but the local chapter was never considered very active. That has begun to change. “Blue-collar city workers, the majority of whom are Black, have united with firefighters and their union, Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 668, who have been mobilizing around similar issues.” — Labor Notes, October 2023 [ 5 ] Firefighters in Durham are paid much less than their peers in nearby cities. Starting pay is about $41,000, comparing poorly with Raleigh ($47,000) or Apex ($51,000). It’s a wonder that loss of staff to other cities isn’t a worse issue. Only seven firefighters left for other departments in FY22–23 [ 20 ]. Photo credit: Durham Fire Department Durham’s firefighters may have been relatively non-militant, but everyone has their breaking point. When the City Council held hearings on the FY23–24 budget in June 2023, firefighters in attendance blasted their low pay in searing terms. “Do you think $14 an hour is enough compensation to show up first to an emergency scene then run across I-85 with a jump bag to start CPR on a 6-month-old infant who had been ejected over the overpass?” — Firefighter quoted by WRAL News [ 21 ] In August 2023, the Fire Department had 38 open roles out of 425 [ 22 ]. That isn’t as shocking as the rate in Public Works or Emergency Comms, but it has still caused issues like fast turnover and heavy overtime. “[Durham Fire Chief Robert] Zoldos says out of the 35 people who left this year, seven went to other departments, 10 went to other fields, eight moved out of the area and 10 retired or were dismissed for other reasons.” — Spectrum News 1 , August 2023 [ 22 ] During COVID, Fire Department spending on overtime pay went up dramatically. In FY19–20, $560,000 was spent on overtime pay. That number spiked to $1.3 million in FY20–21 [ 23 ]. The overtime bonanza may be softening the issue of low pay, but heavy overtime takes a toll on family life, making the job unattractive to many. Furthermore, the City Council decision to withhold raises makes no sense if the money is spent on overtime anyway. “[We] asked [Durham] where in the budget they found the money to pay for the overtime. The [city] said they used the money they had saved from having so many vacancies.” — WRAL News , July 2022 Close Annual raises for Durham city workers were skipped in FY20–21, unusually low in FY21–22, and below the rate of inflation in FY22–23. During the period of wage austerity, the City Council added tens of millions of dollars to the city’s rainy day fund. As a result, several city departments have been plunged into dysfunction. Solid Waste, Emergency Comms, and others are plagued by issues like labor unrest, heavy overtime, fast turnover, high vacancy rates and more. A progressive coalition is pushing the City Council to raise city workers’ pay to at least $25 per hour in the FY24–25 budget. Get involved with the campaign by following these groups on social media or subscribing to their newsletters: UE Local 150 Southern Workers Assembly Union of Southern Service Workers Work Cited 1. US Inflation Calculator. “Current US Inflation Rates: 2000–2024.” US Inflation Calculator | Easily Calculate How the Buying Power of the U.S. Dollar Has Changed From 1913 to 2023. Get Inflation Rates and U.S. Inflation News. , 12 Mar. 2024, www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/current-inflation-rates . 2. Elk, Mike. “Durham Public Works Employees Illegally Strike for 1st Time.” Payday Report , 6 Sept. 2023, paydayreport.com/durham-public-works-employees-illegally-strike-for-1st-time . 3. Durham’s Adopted Budgets, FY16–17 until FY23–34 3a. City of Durham Finance Department. “City of Durham, North Carolina Budget Fiscal Year 2016–2017.” www.durhamnc.gov , 20 June 2016, www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11260/Budget-book-pages-for-web?bidId= 3b. City of Durham Finance Department. “City of Durham, North Carolina Budget Fiscal Year 2017–2018.” www.durhamnc.gov , 19 June 2017, https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/15890/FY-2017-2018-Budget-PDF?bidId= 3c. City of Durham Finance Department. “City of Durham, North Carolina Budget Fiscal Year 2018–2019.” www.durhamnc.gov , 18 June 2018, https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/22131/FY-2018-19-Adopted-Budget 3d. City of Durham Finance Department. “City of Durham, North Carolina Budget Fiscal Year 2019–2020.” www.durhamnc.gov , 17 June 2019, https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/27412/FY20-Final-Budget 3e. City of Durham Finance Department. “City of Durham, North Carolina Budget Fiscal Year 2020–2021.” www.durhamnc.gov , 15 June 2020, https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/32352/FY21-Final-Budget-Book?bidId= 3f. City of Durham Finance Department. “City of Durham, North Carolina Budget Fiscal Year 2021–2022.” www.durhamnc.gov , 21 June 2021, https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/39290/FY22-Adopted-Budget-Book?bidId= 3g. City of Durham Finance Department. “City of Durham, North Carolina Budget Fiscal Year 2022–2023.” www.durhamnc.gov , 16 May 2022, https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/46235/Final-FY23-Budget-Book 3h. City of Durham Finance Department. “City of Durham, North Carolina Budget Fiscal Year 2023–2024.” www.durhamnc.gov , 15 May 2023, https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/52197/Fiscal-Year-2023-24-Adopted-Budget 4. Moore, Mary Helen. “Durham’s Budget Passes at Fiery Meeting. What Each City Council Member Had to Say. Read More at: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article276583981.html#storylink=cpy.” www.newsobserver.com , 21 June 2023, www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article276583981.html . 5. Carroll, Ben. “North Carolina Sanitation Workers Strike for $5K Bonuses.” Labor Notes , 6 Oct. 2023, labornotes.org/2023/10/north-carolina-sanitation-workers-strike-5k-bonuses . 6. An Inside Look at Durham 911 | Durham, NC . www.durhamnc.gov/3964/Durham-911-Stats-Updates#data . 7. Durham Police Data, Statistics, and Reports | Durham, NC . www.durhamnc.gov/4743/Durham-Police-Data-Statistics-and-Report . 8. Fall 2023 City Employee Compensation and Solid Waste Collections Update | Durham, NC . www.durhamnc.gov/5134/Fall-2023-City-Employee-Compensation-and . 9. Panetta, Kyleigh. “Durham Firefighter Advocates for Higher Pay as City Launches Compensation Study.” Spectrum News 1 Charlotte , 23 Aug. 2023, spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2023/08/23/durham-firefighter-advocating-for-higher-pay-as-city-works-on-compensation-study . 10. Durham’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports, FY21–22 and FY-22–23 10a. City of Durham Finance Department. “Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, City of Durham North Carolina, for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2022.” www.durhamnc.gov , 11 Nov. 2022, https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/47665/Annual-Comprehensive-Financial-Report-2022 . 10b. City of Durham Finance Department. “Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, City of Durham North Carolina, for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2023.” www.durhamnc.gov , 15 Nov. 2023, www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/53560/CITY-OF-DURHAM-FY23-ACFR---FINAL . 11. Moore, Mary Helen. “Garbage Workers Strike for Third Day; Durham Residents Told to Keep Trash on the Curb.” www.newsobserver.com , 12 Sept. 2023, www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article279063974.html . 12. Moore, Mary Helen. “City Workers Declare Victory After Durham OKs Bonuses. Here’s What They’ll Get.” www.newsobserver.com , 5 Oct. 2023, www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article280117114.html . 13. HEART Program — Participedia . 28 June 2022, participedia.net/case/12955 . 14. Durham City Workers Deserve $5000 Bonus and Respect! | Southern Vision Alliance PowerBase . southernvision.ourpowerbase.net/civicrm/petition/sign?sid=93&reset=1 . 15. Blackwell, Penelope. “‘Seconds Save Lives.’ but for Some Durham 911 Callers, the Seconds Are Adding Up.” Raleigh News and Observer , 1 Sept. 2021, www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article253797173.html . 16. “Unanswered 911 calls and ‘the kind of scream that makes your soul shake.’” Raleigh News and Observer , 19 Aug. 2021, www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article253622368.html . 17. Krueger, Sarah, et al. “Nearly Half 911 Operational Positions Are Vacant in Durham.” WRAL.com , 5 Jan. 2023, www.wral.com/story/nearly-half-911-operational-positions-are-vacant-in-durham/20656403 . 18. Living Wage Calculator — Living Wage Calculation for Durham County, North Carolina . livingwage.mit.edu/counties/37063 . 19. Price, Crystal. “Durham 911 employees are leaving at 4 times the rate of other dispatch centers nationwide, new audit shows.” CBS 17 , 18 July 2022, www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/durham-county-news/durham-911-employees-are-leaving-at-4-times-the-rate-of-other-dispatch-centers-nationwide-new-audit-shows . 20. “Durham Firefighters Urge City Council to Increase Pay, Say They Can’t Afford to Live in City.” ABC11 Raleigh-Durham , 8 June 2023, abc11.com/durham-firefighters-firefighter-pay-city-council/13356375 . 21. Bergin, Mark, and Monica Casey. “Durham Firefighter Union Chief: Pay Raises ‘anything but a Victory.’” WRAL.com , 21 June 2023, www.wral.com/story/durham-firefighter-union-chief-pay-raises-anything-but-a-victory/20919869 . 22. “Durham Firefighter Advocates for Higher Pay as City Launches Compensation Study.” Spectrum News 1 Charlotte , 23 Aug. 2023, spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2023/08/23/durham-firefighter-advocating-for-higher-pay-as-city-works-on-compensation-study . 23. Krueger, Sarah, Mark Bergin, et al. “Durham, Raleigh Fire Departments Spend Combined $5.1 Million in Overtime Pay During Past Year.” WRAL.com , 2 July 2022, www.wral.com/story/durham-raleigh-fire-departments-spend-combined-5-1-million-in-overtime-pay-during-past-year/20357138 .

Image credit: City of Durham On August 19th, the Durham city council voted 6-0 to approve a company, the Peebles Corporation, for redevelopment of the former police headquarters at 505 W. Chapel Hill Street. The council also voted 5-1 that the city should keep ownership of the land and that the development agreement needs to contain either “substantial additional affordable units or an annual cap on rent increases not to exceed six percent” [ 1, timestamp 1:51:00 ].   The current proposal for the old police HQ calls for 380 apartment units. About a quarter, 92 units, would be affordable at between 30 and 60 percent area median income (AMI). Retail space, lab space, and a hotel are included in the most recent proposal from Peebles [ 2 ].   “This is the last really large parcel in downtown that the city owns,” said council member Chelsea Cook. During the meeting on August 19th, Cook also indicated that affordable housing and resident-oriented retail were her main priorities as the redevelopment project moves forward.   Cook said, “People that live in downtown Durham, they’re leaving for all their stuff… People drive into downtown, they have dinner, and then they leave. There’s no pharmacy anymore, there’s no grocery store… We have an amazing opportunity to make downtown Durham an actual place where people can live” [ 1, timestamp 1:07:00 ].   Since Durham owns the former police HQ site, the city council is legally allowed to extract more community benefits than usual from the developer. For example, council members normally could not demand a permanent cap of six percent for rent increases. Rent control has been illegal in North Carolina since 1987 [ 3 ].   Mark-Antony Middleton pushed back hard against the annual cap:   “I don’t know the math or science behind that number. It might need to be higher than six percent. I mean where did that number come from? I don’t know the calculus or the equation that came up with that number… It might need to be nine percent or eight percent” [ 1, timestamp 1:36:00 ].   Council member DeDreana Freeman replied that the idea came from the President of the United States, who called for an annual cap on rent increases of five percent in July 2024 [ 4 ]. Durham city council members Nate Baker, DeDreana Freeman, and Chelsea Cook. Image credit: City of Durham and News and Observer State laws such as the rent control ban and the Umstead Act create obstacles for local governments trying to deal with the crisis of high rents and home prices [ 5 ]. Municipalities can influence development patterns with zoning powers, but this power is modest and can only provide partial relief. Durham residents interested in zoning have focused on the upcoming revision of the city's Universal Development Ordinance (UDO).   At the August 19th meeting, council member Nate Baker remarked that his mother had worked as a gardener at the old police HQ. “I want to see as much permanent, deeply affordable housing as possible,” said Baker. “I would like to ensure public ownership and public dedication… ensuring that in any open space we retain ownership of the land or that there’s public dedication so that it’s not privatized open space” [ 1, timestamp 1:01:00 ].   Baker also commented, “The site is a gateway into different parts of downtown. It’s important that it’s iconic”. He wanted to ensure that, “there are small retail spaces and non-residential types of spaces on the first floor so that people are moving in and out, activating the street” [ 1, timestamp 1:02:00 ]. Artistic rendering of redevelopment at 505 W. Chapel Hill Street. Image credit: City of Durham As an exceptional case, 505 W. Chapel Hill Street shows the difficulty that local governments face in securing community benefits from developers. Since Durham owned this particular site, the city could directly and strongly negotiate for rent control and affordable housing, but council members rarely have so much leverage.   City hall was crowded during the debate on the former police HQ. The spokespeople of many civic organizations, as well as many engaged citizens, weighed in on various aspects of the redevelopment project. Given the housing crisis in Durham, development votes by city council receive intense public scrutiny. The following quote about the city's housing issues comes from a recent IndyWeek  article: “Out of roughly 122,000 households in Durham, nearly 39,000 can’t afford their current living situation. The Durham Housing Authority (DHA), long starved of resources by the federal government, has a 3,500-person waitlist for one of the 1,700 units DHA controls and an 8,000-person waitlist for the housing vouchers tenants can use on the private market, according to DataWorks NC” [ 6 ]. Work Cited   “Durham City Council Aug 19 2024.”  YouTube channel of City of Durham , 20 Aug. 2024,  www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfmAc3Q7LMQ . Thompson, Kayli. “New Plan for Former Durham Police HQ Costs $285M With Hotel, Apartments, Retail.”  Triangle Business Journal , 20 Aug. 2024,  www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2024/08/20/durham-police-hq-development-peebles-corporation.html . Gordon, Brian. “NC Answers: Why North Carolina Doesn’t Allow Rent Control.”  Asheville Citizen Times , 20 Jan. 2022,  www.citizen-times.com/story/news/2022/01/12/why-doesnt-nc-have-rent-control-why-rent-control-illegal-nc/8838065002 . “Fact Sheet: President Biden Announces Major New Actions to Lower Housing Costs by Limiting Rent Increases and Building More Homes.” The White House , 16 July 2024, www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/07/16/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-major-new-actions-to-lower-housing-costs-by-limiting-rent-increases-and-building-more-homes . Childress, Greg. “Durham Leaders Hope 2024 Will Be Different for Local Workforce Housing Legislation.” NC Newsline , 15 May 2024, www.ncnewsline.com/2024/05/15/durham-leaders-hope-2024-will-be-different-for-local-workforce-housing-legislation . Hartman, Matt. “At Home With the Matadors: Durham’s Housing Crisis, SCAD, and Their Impacts on the Upcoming Election.” IndyWeek , 21 Sept. 2023, indyweek.com/news/durham/at-home-with-the-matadors-durhams-housing-crisis-scad-and-their-impacts-on-the-upcoming-election .

On November 18th, Durham city council voted 4 to 3 to approve annexations on Doc Nichols Road and Leesville Road. Debate over the small projects in southeast Durham underlined the council’s sharp divide on suburban sprawl, environmental protection, and developer influence.   Now approved, the Doc Nichols Road annexation clears the way for construction of 25 townhomes by Steve Gillooly and Tim Sivers. The developers promised not to use mass grading, a land leveling method that has contributed to sediment pollution of waterways in southeast Durham [ 1 ]. The builders proffered $10,000 for Durham Public Schools (DPS) and $25,000 for the Dedicated Housing Fund (DHF). The city’s Planning Commission, which makes non-binding recommendations, voted against the Doc Nichols Road annexation.   Council members Nate Baker, Chelsea Cook, and DeDreana Freeman, who tend to align with the Planning Commission, criticized the Doc Nichols Road project as an example of sprawling, unsustainable development.   “I want to see growth coming from the urban center out towards the urban boundary,” said Cook. “That way we can keep up with the growth and we can have the infrastructure following. What we’re instead seeing is less expensive land… in that outer rim being purchased by developers and clearcut because that’s the profit maximization” [ 2, timestamp 1:59:30 ].   Cook continued, “It would make our lives a lot easier if [development] was moving from the dense city center out toward the residential area so that folks could actually have the amenities and affordable living they deserve and need” [ 2, timestamp 2:00:15 ].   Over the course of 2024, nine votes on development have split the city council into the same 4 to 3 coalitions [ 3 ]. The majority group, which rubber-stamps virtually all requests for annexation or rezoning, includes council members Javiera Caballero, mayor pro tempore Mark-Antony Middleton, Carl Rist, and mayor Leonardo Williams.   A smaller bloc made up of Baker, Cook, and Freeman have been willing to vote against developers if the projects lack affordable housing, community benefits, or don’t align with the council members’ views on urban planning and environmental protection.   “If you look at [the Doc Nichols site] and the development around it (in southeast Durham), we’re looking at some of the most unsustainable development on the planet,” said Baker. “That is American-style suburban planning, which is 100 percent auto-oriented. It’s thousands upon thousands of acres of climate catastrophic development” [ 2, timestamp 2:06:30 ].   More generally, Baker called for the city council to work with landowners and developers to coordinate investments and rationalize Durham's growth. He asked, “How can we work with the developers to cluster development … using the three Ds (density, diversity, design) of walkability and transit-oriented development?” [ 2, timestamp 2:05:45 ]   The Leesville Road annexation wasn’t debated as long as the Doc Nichols Road case since the two projects, and therefore the disagreements, were so similar. The Leesville Road project, which aims to build 20 townhomes, is also located in southeast Durham and associated with Tim Sivers. In this case, the developer proffered $5,000 to DPS and $20,000 to DHF. After a few technical questions from Cook, the second annexation was approved by a 4 to 3 vote.   Since January 2024, according to Bull City Public Investigators , “93% of development cases involving a zoning change or annexation were approved by City Council. The Planning Commission recommended approval in 76% of those cases” [ 3 ].   Many of the annexations, such as Doc Nichols and Leesville Road, contribute to a pattern of sprawling and unsustainable development in Durham. Developers can expect continued free reign unless Baker, Cook, and Freeman gain a fourth vote on city council.   Development disagreements in Durham occur within narrow bounds set by the state government. For example, North Carolina laws ban the use of rent control (G.S. 42-14.1) and ban the use of state funds to build public housing that competes with the private sector (GG 66-58).   Work Cited   Wagner, Adam. “Environmental Group Sues Durham Developer, Alleging Ongoing Stream Pollution.” News and Observer , 13 Sept. 2023, www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article279098489.html . “Durham City Council, Nov 18 2024.” YouTube , 19 Nov. 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=63oBFdmfI8k . “How Durham City Council Voted on Development in 2024.” BCPI’s Substack , 17 Dec. 2024, bcpi.substack.com/p/how-durham-city-council-voted-on .

We are so blessed to live in a city so full of people working toward making the lives of others better, from running mutual aid networks to organizing for better policies. Sometimes, it gets overwhelming. Where do you start? How do you plug in? How do we not reinvent the wheel? I decided to make a bank for myself, a one-stop shop to keep track of all these resources. I love spreadsheets and databases, and as someone who has been organizing for three years in the Durham area, I have amassed a lot of them.  As my personal database grew, I realized it could be helpful for other people too, so I have linked it here: A Movement Resource Bank for Durham . This is sort of a culmination of things I have learned and seen over my organizing career. There are seven sections, each with different purposes and use cases, but all centered on meaningful and life-giving rather than performative or draining actions. Whether you are starting to take action for the first time (welcome to the movement!) or a seasoned organizer looking for a new event space or merch vendor, I hope that this resource bank is helpful to you. When I first started organizing, I had a much narrower view of what meaningful action meant: policy change. With my hyper fixation on technical policies and electoral power, I burned out quickly and underwent many mental and physical health crises. However, if we want to make lasting change, we also have to prioritize the other dimensions of social justice in a way that centers joy and belonging, which this resource really tries to emphasize in its seven sections. The first section is calendars of events, because going to events is a great way to get started on your organizing journey. One-off events are low-stakes, low-commitment, and fun ways to meet like-minded people in your community! Such community gathering events are important in centering joy, love, and belonging in the movement, as well as bringing people together and building relationships. There are a ton of people making cool compilations and calendars of progressive news and events, which I tried to link here. But this section also includes travel blogs, for two reasons. Firstly, building community and fostering belonging is the point of organizing, which is why social events like ice cream parties, arts festivals, and nights out are just as (if not more) critical to the movement as policy memos and phonebanking. Travel blogs contain tons of events to help your volunteers bond! Second, you can’t fight for a place you don’t know and love. There is always more culture and history to explore, wherever you are, and the more you learn, the more you love, the better you organize.  The second section is local news, which is really important in keeping us all informed of what’s going on in our communities, the places that affect us every day and the places where we can really make a difference. Unfortunately, local news is on the decline. Fortunately, there are a ton of citizen journalists  and organization newsletters filling in the gap, and we can still support the local news outlets that exist! This database also includes blogs + social media + influencers, because that is a huge source of information in the digital age and the direction our movement is moving in. The third section is mutual aid and aid, including food distribution, community gardens, tool libraries, and more. We take care of us! Especially when the long-term policy work gets difficult and we get burnt out, mutual aid and aid are great for re-energizing your soul, restoring your health, and sustaining your hope. Systemic change must also be complemented by short-term relief. Getting involved with these programs are wonderful for community-building and making a meaningful impact in your community. The fourth section is physical locations; being physically together matters! These locations include progressive-oriented businesses in the Durham area, because they are also part of the movement. Some ways that I have used this list are to find values-aligned event spaces and to garner support from the business community. We love using this list to identify places to drop literature and pamphlets that share information and publicize events. Locations categorized as “Community Centers” in this section are designed to host community events at affordable rates. Many of those spaces are hubs of progressive and community activity, with calendars of events and newsletters of their own. However, even many locations that are not dubbed “Community Centers” are open to hosting events - just ask! The fifth section is active organizations that do meaningful work with low barriers of entry. Although the best thing to build community power & resilience is to get to know your neighbors, I also tried to curate a list of organizations that you can easily take meaningful action with and feel like you are in a community, where you can also level up your organizing skills. Without meaningful action and community, it is easy to burn out. Therefore, my list is really focused on trying to identify groups that feel effective and supportive for you. The sixth section is art, because culture is power . This section also contains movement-aligned, local small business vendors for all your movement merch and art build purposes.  The last section is resource recovery. I couldn’t help adding it because I began as a climate organizer, but being mindful about our physical impact on the world and the ecosystems around us is also an important part of what it means to take care of and respect each other. Let us create regenerative cycles rather than polluting landfills in both the way we treat each other and the way we use material goods. Finally, there is a comment section because I want to hear what you think! I am sure there are mistakes and I am sure that I have left things out. Let me know what to add, what to change, and what you think can be made better. If it’s helpful, let me know too!

On Aug. 30, at Nuestro Barrio Liberation Cafe, about 15 activists gathered to raise money for the Hatuey Project, which sends cancer medicines and medical supplies to Cuba. Attendees listened to presentations about Cuban history and discussed ways to overcome the 60-year US embargo of the island. The Triangle chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) hosted the event as part of its ongoing series of rallies and fundraisers for Cuba. At the ‘Break the Blockade’ event, PSL sold guava pastries and cookies with proceeds going to the Hatuey Project . The project, named for an Indigenous hero, was started by US activists to provide cancer medications and materials to Cuba, with a focus on children suffering from leukemia and lymphoma. Cuba has an excellent health care system and life expectancy that rivals that of the US. However, most countries are restricted from trading with Cuba under long-standing US sanctions. PSL began Saturday's event with a chant of “Abajo, abajo, abajo el bloqueo!” Organizers gave presentations that showed the centuries-old roots of US antagonism to Cuba. One slideshow included quotes from Thomas Jefferson the 1700s advocating the conquest of Cuba, a feat not accomplished by the US until 1898. The embargo is codified 1996 Helms-Burton Act and other federal laws. The law is named for Jesse Helms, a white supremacist who served as North Carolina senator for 30 years. Helms also wielded influence over policy towards Haiti. He played a leading role in overthrowing the democratically elected, progressive government of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. To generate discussion, organizers distributed slips of paper with the names of different countries or territories such as Mexico, the US, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Cuba. Each paper outlined the powers and limits of each entity. For example, Mexico was described as being allowed to send food to Cuba but unable to militarily defend the island. Each group was also asked if their country or territory hosts US military bases, provided their people with universal health care, and so on. Under the Trump administration, the embargo has been tightened with Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terror. Cuba has not committed terrorist acts and the US designation is widely considered to be pretextual. During breaks, attendees could order an ‘Old East Durham’ or other types of coffee. They could also purchase The Black Belt Thesis: A Reader or other books from PSL’s mini-bookstore. Nuestro Barrio’s walls are covered with the flags of Global South countries. The cafe used to be on West Morgan Street but recently moved to South Driver Street in the Old East Durham district. In Triangle left-wing circles, PSL is best-known for the extraordinary number of anti-genocide protests it has helped to lead in Raleigh’s Moore Square since October 2023. During Saturday's event, organizers drew the parallels between US support for the 60-year blockade of Cuba and the 20-year siege of the Gaza Strip. In April 2025, PSL held a ‘Noche Cubana’ that raised $2,000 for Cuban relief. The ‘Break the Blockade’ event on Aug. 30 built on that effort and likely netted a few hundred more dollars.

Hayti district house in what is now Heritage Square. The home was demolished in 1966-70. Image credit: Open Durham The Sterling Bay development company has withdrawn its request to rezone the Heritage Square site for a luxury high-rise with lab space, apartments, and retail. The project was opposed by many Hayti residents who demanded more input and feared a repeat of devastating 'urban renewal' policies in the 1960s. The site at 606 Fayetteville Street, also 401 East Lakewood Avenue, is currently a vacant shopping mall. Durham’s development options for Heritage Square and other sites are restricted by state laws, including Umstead Act, a ban on rent control , and various limits on zoning policy. On Aug. 5, the advocacy group Hayti Reborn said in a statement, “ We’ve said it before, and we’ll keep saying it: Hayti is not opposed to development. We’re opposed to any development that excludes, exploits, or erases us ” [ 1 ]. In an interview with ABC11 , Rev. Julian Pridgen, pastor at St. Mark AME Zion Church, sounded a similar note. He said, "It is just difficult for me to accept rezoning this property for more luxury apartments when we have homeless people sleeping on our front porch" [ 2 ]. Sterling Bay initially wanted a ‘by-right’ project, which would not need council approval. Plans for building taller than 175 feet led to the need for a rezoning request [ 3 ]. The council would have likely approved the request had the company had not withdrawn it. Annexation and rezoning requests by developers often result in a 4-3 split. Javiera Caballero, mayor pro tempore Mark-Antony Middleton, Carl Rist, and mayor Leonardo Williams almost always vote yes. Nate Baker, Chelsea Cook, and DeDreana Freeman are less favorable to developer requests, but still vote in favor around two-thirds of the time [ 4 ] . Durham city council annexation and rezoning votes in 2024 Image credit: Bull City Public Investigators From the viewpoint of the council majority, approving requests ensures that developers invest millions in new housing. They sometimes acknowledge the projects can promote sprawl, displace low-income residents, and degrade the environment, but feel compelled to approve them. Their reasoning is that if denied, developers can build less desirable by-right projects anyway. This position is often reinforced by campaign donations from real estate and construction interests. For politicians who oppose the requests, like former councilwoman Dr. Monique Holsey-Hyman, developers can prove to be formidable enemies [ 5 ]. The council minority is less resigned to a future of unaffordable, unsustainable sprawl. Baker, Cook, and Freeman vote to reject about one-third of developer requests. Their ‘no’ votes are a strategic tool to pressure developers into volunteering benefits such as affordable housing. If developers don't offer enough, the council minority can withhold votes. Since the three-member group does not currently have the votes to block requests, Durham approves almost all annexations and rezonings. Several North Carolina towns like Chapel Hill, Davidson, and Manteo use a tool called inclusionary zoning to require affordable housing on new development projects. Chapel Hill’s ordinance requires new projects with five or more housing units for sale (not for rent) to make 10 to 15 percent of them affordable at 65 to 80 percent AMI. Durham has not enacted inclusionary zoning, so the council negotiates benefits through annexation and rezoning hearings. The city cannot formally demand anything but developers can volunteer benefits like affordable housing to win a vote [ 6 ]. From the perspective of the council minority, their job is to create an environment where developers voluntarily offer as much as possible. This is precisely why Baker, Cook, and Freeman don’t automatically approve all requests. If approvals are guaranteed, developers have no incentive to offer anything. On the other hand, developers retain the right to withdraw annexation and rezoning requests, which limits the council's leverage. Sterling Bay may have withdrawn to wait for the new Universal Development Ordinance (UDO) to come into effect. Under the new upzoning rules, the company would get almost everything it wants without the need for political approval. In 2022, Sterling Bay paid $62 million for the 10-acre Heritage Square site. Since the company owns the land, it's intuitive that Durham has only limited control over the land's usage. Yet, even when the city owns the land for a project, the council still finds itself pressured to rely on the private sector. In August 2024, the city council selected the Peebles Corporation to redevelop the former police headquarters at 505 West Chapel Hill Street. Since the city owns the land, it was able to bypass the state’s rent control ban ( GS 42‑14.1). Durham negotiated with Peebles to require the company to choose between more affordable units or a six percent cap on annual rent increases. The project proposed 380 apartments, with about 90 affordable units. Caballero and Rist joined the council minority in the effort to secure this form of rent control [ 7 ]. Months later, due to changes in market conditions, Peebles increased its request for public subsidies to $78 million. In June 2025, the city was forced to end talks with the developer and start from scratch [ 8 ]. Could Durham cut out the developer, construct new housing, own the building, and charge below-market rents without a means test? For now, such a project would be legal, so long as no funding came from the state or federal level. If money were no object, Durham could buy Heritage Square, build a high-rise with hundreds of apartment units, and charge $750 per month rent to anyone willing to pay with a preference for Hayti residents. Legal barriers appear when state or federal funding is involved. S ince 2017, the Durham Board of Education has sought to build affordable housing for its teachers and staff. The project requires an exemption from the Umstead Act (GS 66-58), a 1939 law that prohibits the state government from operating businesses that compete with the private sector . The Durham Board of Education is part of local government, but they appear to need the Umstead waiver due to state funding for public schools. For eight years, the Republican-led General Assembly has repeatedly denied the request. The GOP position is that a waiver would erode the law [ 9 ] . They are right. If the school board built housing and rented to cafeteria workers at below-market rents, it would be ‘stealing’ a customer from private landlords (if the cafeteria worker was able to pay market rent). While the Umstead Act blocks state funding for many kinds of public housing, North Carolina's 1987 rent control ban safeguards the profits gained from private rental housing. The law was introduced by Democratic state senator Dan Blue, who remains in office. If GS 42‑14.1 were repealed, Durham could have explicitly conditioned the Heritage Square rezoning on rent control for 20 percent of the units at 60 percent area median income. In 2023, Democratic state senator Lisa Grafstein introduced Senate Bill 225 to legalize rent control. The proposal didn’t make it out of a Republican-led committee [ 10 ]. Sterling Bay’s withdrawal of its rezoning petition is Durham's latest divisive episode over development policy. The city council remains divided 4-3 on the use of annexation and rezoning powers to plan the city’s future. The local disagreements are bounded by state laws such as the Umstead Act and the rent control ban that hamper efforts by local government to solve the housing affordability crisis. However, cities and counties in North Carolina do have the legal right to build rent controlled housing on city-owned land. There would be political and financial obstacles in the way of those projects, but not legal ones. Heritage Square shopping small (left) and Sterling Bay development illustration (right). Image credit: News and Observer The Hayti district of Durham was founded after the Civil War by freed slaves working in the tobacco industry. Residents named their community after Haiti, the Black republic born from history’s only successful slave revolt. The choice must have unsettled the tobacco company owners. By the early 20th century, Hayti had developed a robust, self-sufficient economy. The district was home hundreds of businesses, including the NC Mutual Life Insurance Company, which was once the richest Black-owned business in the world. The names of the company’s founders, Merrick, Moore, and Spaulding, are common around Durham as the names for streets, schools, and other landmarks. The major institutions of Hayti included North Carolina Central University, Lincoln Hospital, Mechanics and Farmers Bank, Warren Library, Tubman YWCA, St. Joseph AME Church, and White Rock Baptist Church. In 1935, the federal government ‘redlined’ Hayti. This decision by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation led banks to systematically deny mortgages and loans to Black homeowners and businesspeople in Hayti. The lack of credit contributed to poverty that was then used to justify the community's destruction. Durham labelled Hayti as “blighted” in 1958. Federal laws and funding were then used to demolish about 4,000 houses and 500 businesses. Across a 200-acre area, about 95 percent of buildings were destroyed. Over the course of a 14 year period, the Black population in the area was reduced by half. By 1974, the NC-147 was routed through the heart of Hayti, physically carving it in two. The Heritage Square shopping mall was built in 1985. The vacant shops look out at Lakewood Street. Behind the mall is the Durham Freeway. R-17 project area in 1950 and in 1972. Image credit: Bull City 150 Work Cited Hayti Reborn. (2025, August 5). “Last Night at the Durham City Council meeting. . .”  Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CAJHRfSfm/ Developer pulls request to rezone, build major project in Durham’s Hayti district. (2025, August 4). ABC11 . https://abc11.com/post/hayti-district-durham-city-council-vote-rezoning-request-historic-area/17429773/ Developer pulls controversial Heritage Square rezoning. (2025, August 5). Indyweek . https://indyweek.com/news/durham/durham-heritage-square-hayti-withdrawn/ How Durham City Council voted on development in 2024. (2024, December 17). Bull City Public Investigators . https://bcpi.substack.com/p/how-durham-city-council-voted-on How to destroy a councilwoman: The attack on Dr. Monique Holsey-Hyman. (2024, June 22). Durham Dispatch . https://www.durhamdispatch.com/post/how-to-destroy-a-councilwoman-the-attack-on-dr-holsey-hyman What conditions can be included in conditional zoning?  (2021, November 11). Coates’ Canons NC Local Government Law. https://canons.sog.unc.edu/2021/11/what-conditions-can-be-included-in-conditional-zoning/ Durham City Council seeks rent control as old Police HQ redeveloped. (2024, September 1). Durham Dispatch . https://www.durhamdispatch.com/post/durham-city-council-seeks-rent-control-as-old-police-hq-redeveloped Durham drops developer but remains undecided about future of police building. (2025, June 6). News and Observer . https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article307657741.html Durham leaders hope 2024 will be different for local workforce housing legislation. (2024, May 15). NC Newsline . https://ncnewsline.com/2024/05/15/durham-leaders-hope-2024-will-be-different-for-local-workforce-housing-legislation/ Raleigh City Council members throw support behind rent control bill. (2023, May 17). Indyweek . https://indyweek.com/news/wake/raleigh-city-council-members-throw-support-behind-rent-control-bill/

On Wednesday, August 27, Clean Water for North Carolina released new, interactive maps highlighting drinking water sources threatened by three proposed methane gas pipelines in North Carolina and Virginia. Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company’s proposed Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP) Pipeline, crossing through densely populated areas in Guilford and Forsyth Counties, poses the greatest threat to NC drinking water of the three. These maps provide the public with valuable information ahead of public hearings on whether the state should approve SSEP’s 401 water quality certification application . North Carolinians and Virginians near any of the proposed routes can use the maps to identify if their drinking water source is at risk of contamination due to pipeline impacts. SSEP Pipeline is a proposed 42-inch diameter high-pressure, methane gas pipeline. It would cross multiple states, starting in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and out to Coosa County, Alabama. 28.4 miles of new pipe are proposed for North Carolina in Rockingham, Guilford, Forsyth, and Davidson counties. It would require the expansion of two gas-fired compressor stations in Iredell and Davidson counties, which would produce air pollution. SSEP’s proposed route puts it close to existing Transco pipelines. In Rockingham County, the pipeline would follow closely along the proposed route for Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate, crossing many of the same waterways, also magnifying the potential for impacts to groundwater. The proposal to install multiple high-pressure, large-diameter pipelines on similar routes has inspired vocal opposition at public hearings. Guilford County passed a resolution citing safety concerns in response. The town of Midway passed a resolution of opposition in May. Community members facing further land seizure by Transco for the SSEP, have expressed skepticism of their safety record and water pollution controls. “I have lived with the three despicable Transco pipelines running through my farm and community for over 60 years. Now, Transco wants to install a fourth pipeline referred to as SSEP.” said, Ron Ray, a resident of Guilford County, “Beaver Creek runs over the pipelines on my farm and has always been a potential source of contamination for water running into the creek, rivers, and waters on to the Atlantic Ocean. The SSEP construction will certainly cause damage to these waterways  during construction and increase the risks of severe damage for generations to come.  I plead that this project be not permitted for the sake of the health and safety of future generations.” Pollution from pipeline construction or leaks during operation can harm rivers, streams, public water supplies, and private wells all along the route. The pipelines are proposed near communities that have already suffered groundwater contamination from coal ash, in order to supply new gas turbines proposed by Duke Energy in Person and Catawba Counties. “ We released these maps to empower residents with information that often stays buried in long permit applications. That way, we can act to protect our communities. Private well users within 1000 ft of the proposed pipelines are at risk of contamination of their groundwater or even a decrease in water supply. These maps can help them identify if their wells are at risk.” said Steph Gans, Assistant Director of Clean Water for North Carolina,  “Clean water is not the only thing on the line. These pipelines would supply new power plants adding to unhealthy air in communities. They will increase already high gas and electric bills. They threaten drinking water supplies, which could raise water bills. Using methane will worsen climate change, which caused damaging storms like Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Chantal. Both storms imposed huge costs on local water utilities and left North Carolinians without clean drinking water for days or weeks.” The maps show the threat to beloved local waterways across three watersheds: the Roanoke, Cape Fear, and Yadkin-Pee Dee. SSEP would cross the headwaters of the Haw River and the Dan River, which are sources of drinking water for NC communities. They show public water supplies from groundwater, some of which are perilously close to the SSEP pipeline’s route. “Projects like this create irreparable damage on our sensitive aquatic ecosystems and pose serious risks for downstream communities that depend on our rivers and streams for drinking water supplies.” said Emily Sutton, Haw Riverkeeper and Executive Director of Haw River Assembly, “These maps help us to demonstrate the unavoidable damage the SSEP project would cause if these permits are approved. This is the opportunity for our communities to show up and have their voices heard to oppose this unnecessary pipeline.” On Thursday, September 4 at 4:30pm, community members and grassroots organizations will hold: No SSEP! Rally to Protect Water in Harmon Park at 152 South Main Street, Kernersville, NC. The rally will take place before a public hearing on SSEP’s water quality certification application held by the NC Department of Environmental Quality. The hearing starts at 6 p.m. in the Kernersville Municipal Council Chambers, 134 East Mountain Street, Kernersville, NC. Private well users along the route welcomed the maps. “I’m glad this information will be available as I am definitely impacted by the proposed pipeline.” said Diana Garrison, a Guilford County resident, “I live in a neighborhood close to the pipeline, so all the homeowners’ wells are impacted by any leakage or seepage of toxins. Williams says they check to make sure their pipeline is safe, but we have yet to see anyone walking along pipeline in our area.” To view interactive maps of the SSEP, MVP Southgate, and T-15 pipeline routes visit cwfnc.org/nc-pipelines . The maps use data from a variety of public sources, including FracTracker Alliance , a non-profit organization educating the public about the risks from oil and gas projects. The maps show public water supplies, land within 1000 ft of the proposed pipelines, the potential blast zone in the event of a pipeline accident, and drinking water sources at risk of pollution from all three pipelines. This article was first published by Clean Water for NC .