The Charlotte Mercury

Charlotte Water mandatory Stage 2 restrictions take effect Friday

Mandatory Water Restrictions Begin Friday in Charlotte. The Five-Stage Protocol Behind Them.

Day-of guide to Charlotte's first mandatory Stage 2 restrictions since 2009: the rules, the five-stage Low Inflow Protocol behind them, the burn ban that…

Jack Beckett·May 13, 2026

North Carolina state legislative building in Raleigh — site of the May 12, 2026 budget framework announcement

government

After Ten Months Without a Budget, NC Republicans Found a Framework. Most State Workers Get a Raise Below Inflation.

Senate Pres. Pro Tem Phil Berger and House Speaker Destin Hall announced a budget framework Tuesday afternoon, ending a ten-month standoff. Teachers get an 8…

Jack Beckett·May 13, 2026

government

CMS Board Unanimously Approves Hill's Amended Budget — Two Weeks After Denying It 8-1

Two weeks after rejecting Superintendent Crystal Hill's $2.1 billion budget 8-1, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education unanimously approved her…

Jack Beckett·May 13, 2026

government

A Budget Hearing, an I-77 Reset, Data Centers — and the Question Malcolm Graham Wouldn't Answer

Council convened in special session at 4 p.m. Monday to take up three of Charlotte's biggest active fights — a $4.5 billion budget hearing, a resolution on the…

Jack Beckett·May 11, 2026

Charlotte Water Stage 2 mandatory restrictions

government

Charlotte Water Escalates to Mandatory Restrictions as Drought Reaches Stage 2

Charlotte Water escalates to Stage 2 of the Low Inflow Protocol on Friday, May 15 — the first mandatory water restrictions since 2009. The region has reached…

Jack Beckett·May 11, 2026

The Charlotte Mercury

Always Last... To Breaking News!

Panthers 2026 Schedule: Three Primetime Slots, the Toughest Stretch, and What the Numbers Say

MPTA Launches CEO Search With July 1 Deadline Less Than Seven Weeks Away

Charlotte's $4.5 Billion Budget Drew More Than 30 Speakers Monday Night. Nearly All of Them Asked for More.

Mandatory Water Restrictions Begin Friday in Charlotte. The Five-Stage Protocol Behind Them.

After Ten Months Without a Budget, NC Republicans Found a Framework. Most State Workers Get a Raise Below Inflation.

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