The controversy over a proposed public safety center for Raleigh continued this week, with Mayor Charles Meeker revealing how he hopes to get the project support and Wake County Republican Chairman Claude Pope Jr. calling for voters, and not the council, decide if they want the building built.

Report's Sarah Ovaska writes in today's N&O that John Odom won't swing his vote to the affirmative on the stalled $205 million Lightner Public Safety Center.

It was believed that Odom, the lone Republican on the eight-member council, might switch his vote since the project is without a tax increase, as was first proposed.

This means Lightner might just be the deadest initiative this side of the Crabtree Valley Spreeway.

But Mayor Charles Meeker isn't giving up. He'll continue to court two other council members - likely Thomas Crowder and Russ Stephenson (Bonner Gaylord also opposes the project, but is most unlikely to waiver after his outspoken case against Lightner at a council meeting earlier this year).

Don't expect Crowder or Stephenson to budge.

The Raleigh City Council unanimously passed today the resolution that criticizes the Wake County school board's ending of the socioeconomic diversity policy.

The council members agreed to the resolution that expresses "concern over any attempt to resegregate Wake’s public schools by either race or socioeconomic status.” County commissioners had approved it Monday by a 4-3 vote with all four Democrats in support.

“We need to do anything in our power to stop the school board,” Mayor Charles Meeker said at today's council meeting.

As of this day can't get odder, new school board member Debra Goldman has been told she can't dress up as Mrs. Claus for tomorrow's Raleigh Christmas Parade.

John Odom, executive director of the the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association, gave the bad news to Goldman today. He told her that it's against their policy for any person other than the official Santa to wear the red Santa suit at the parade.

UPDATE

Click here for today's story. In case you don't already know, I added that Odom was recently elected to the Raleigh City Council.