Board of Commissioners, planning board, and local politics
The Wake Forest board vacancy appointment process is underway. When Commissioner Ben Clapsaddle won the mayorâs race in November, Wake Forest didnât just gain a new mayor. It suddenly faced a Wake Forest board vacancy appointment question that goes deeper than any one vote: How do we fill the vacancy he leaves behind in a […]
The Wake Forest democratic process board seat question is front and center. When Commissioner Ben Clapsaddle is sworn in as Mayor, his commissioner seat becomes vacant. Our town government section covers the full story. This Wake Forest democratic process board seat guide explains what North Carolina law and the Town Code say about who certifies
In a 3â1 vote Thursday night, the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners approved a rezoning that will allow up to 108 condominium-style townhomes on Star Road â despite the townâs planning staff and the Planning Board both recommending denial. The decision underscores the challenge of balancing Wake Forestâs rapid growth with the tools local leaders
When the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners sits down for its work session on Thursday, November 6, at 6 p.m., they wonât be voting yet â but theyâll be setting the stage for the next round of decisions that shape how this town grows, spends, and looks in the years ahead. Work sessions are where
Evening view of Civic Plaza with an upside-down American flag, symbolizing distress, against a backdrop of vintage architecture and classic cars. Damaged campaign signs for multiple WF candidates were found cut and tossed on the ground on November 2, 2025âscreenshot taken at 6:30 p.m. by Tom Baker IV. It would be easy to dismiss this
I grew up in Wake Forest. My family has called this area home for generations, long before the Baptist college or the seminary came here. This land, where my family has lived for generations, was first the home of the Tuscarora, Shakori, and other Siouan-speaking peoples. They tended these forests and rivers long before settlers
Wake Forest, North Carolina, is the kind of town where decisions usually happen face-to-face. Iâve lived here all my life; my familyâs roots stretch back to the 1700s. In early September 2025, a single misspoken announcement at a meeting sent this small town into a week-long storm of emails, phone calls, and quiet political pressure,
When people ask what this yearâs election is really about, I tell them itâs simple: growth â and how we handle it. For all the talk about national politics, most of what shapes our daily lives happens right here in town â the roads we drive, the water we drink, the neighborhoods we live in,
Good evening, Mayor Jones, Commissioners, and residents of Wake Forest My name is James Thomas Baker IV,My extended family, Baker, Harris, Clifton, and Timberlake, has called this land home since before it was Wake Forest, before Wake and Franklin were counties, when it was still a colonial holding under the Crown. Weâve farmed, fought wars,
Itâs easy to imagine authoritarianism as a distant threat, something that happens in broken states or under military regimes. But its logic is already visible, in our neighborhoods, in our campaigns, and in the digital spaces where civic life now unfolds. Across the country, and yes, in our own town we are witnessing a troubling
In the weeks leading up to Wake Forest Pride Fest on October 11, 2025, a flyer circulated through conservative Facebook groups, local email lists, and in-person meetings around Wake Forest. A flyer circulated among conservative activists in Wake Forest ahead of the 2025 Pride Fest, calling on participants to âwitness, observe, and recordâ attendees â
Wake Forest Matters — Independent local journalism for Wake Forest, NC
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