City of Charlotte
Coverage (20 articles)
Charlotte Read DOJ’s Model Cities Fine Print. Some of It Comes Later.
Charlotte has until September 1 to seek a share of nearly $300 million through DOJ’s Model Cities Initiative. Applying requires local signatures, federal collaboration and an immigration certification before certain award terms are available.
A SNAP Penalty Could Cost Mecklenburg $30 Million to $42 Million a Year. A November Ballot Question Could Cap How It Pays.
A federal penalty tied to North Carolina's food-assistance error rate could take $30 million to $42 million a year out of Mecklenburg County's budget, and the county will owe a share of it even if its own error rate stays under the federal limit. The county's budget director called it a shift of federal costs onto local residents, from a program funded by income tax onto a county whose revenue levers are "really limited to property tax." Whether the General Assembly must cap property tax is the question on the November 3 ballot.
Hendrick Motorsports Wants to Build on Residential Land. Charlotte's Planners Say It Breaks the Plan, and Recommend Approving It Anyway.
Hendrick Motorsports has petitioned to rezone 22.89 acres at the Mecklenburg-Cabarrus line from residential to industrial to expand its race-shop campus. City staff say the request is out of alignment with Charlotte's own area plan but recommend approval on jobs grounds. The petitioner added conditions, including excluding data centers, and the council closed the hearing without a vote.
Raleigh Wants Charlotte to Repay $60 Million for Killing the I-77 Toll Lanes
A bill in Raleigh, written by Sen. Vickie Sawyer, would require the Charlotte-area governments that voted to kill the I-77 South toll lanes in May to repay the state an estimated $60 million, freeze the decision until 2027, and withhold state highway money until it is paid. Mecklenburg commissioners, briefed June 16, called it a retaliatory power grab.
A Member of the Council Will Help Pick the Next Mayor. He Is Also Running for the Job.
Mayor Pro Tem James Mitchell Jr. applied for the interim mayor seat the council will fill, and he can vote for himself. Council members raised a conflict; the city attorney ruled there is no legal basis for recusal, citing the Patsy Kinsey precedent. The question of whether Mitchell should be excused was left unresolved.
Charlotte's Next Mayor Won't Be Elected. More Than 100 People Applied for the Job Anyway.
More than 100 people applied to be Charlotte's next mayor, and about 30 made their case in person at a June 15 council forum. The next mayor will be appointed, not elected, by 11 council members, with a vote targeted for June 22.
At Mecklenburg's Budget Hearing, a Flat Tax Rate Met a Long Line of Funding Requests
County Manager Michael Bryant's recommended FY2027 budget holds Mecklenburg's property tax rate flat and fully funds Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. At a three-and-a-half-hour public hearing, about sixty residents and nonprofit leaders told the Board of County Commissioners what that budget still leaves out — while a few urged them to pass it as written. No vote was taken; the board is set to adopt the budget June 2.
MPTA Launches CEO Search With July 1 Deadline Less Than Seven Weeks Away
The MPTA board launched a national CEO search Wednesday and advanced the draft Interlocal Agreement as the July 1 operational transfer deadline approaches.
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 arrived with them, and what's enforceable Friday.
Vi Lyles Will Resign as Charlotte Mayor on June 30. The Race to Replace Her Already Started.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles announced Thursday that she will resign on June 30, ending a tenure that began in 2017. Under North Carolina law, the City Council will appoint a Democrat to serve the remainder of her term — and the field is already organizing in public, with former Mayor Jennifer Roberts offering to fill the vacancy and Council Member Dante Anderson breaking for the outsider option. The vote that decides who fills the seat has not been scheduled.
Mayfield votes no on a Faith in Housing petition she built — tells the chamber the label is not "an automatic check"
Council Member LaWana Mayfield built Charlotte's Faith in Housing initiative. Monday night she voted against one of its petitions — and told the chamber from the dais why the label alone doesn't get a project to yes.
Charlotte Council Approves Both Faith in Housing Rezonings.
Council Member LaWana Mayfield, the architect of Charlotte's Faith in Housing initiative, voted against a Faith in Housing petition Monday night. Both rezonings passed. The second carried on the bare minimum: six yes votes, no mayor in the chair.
Carolina Ascent FC Clinches Second Straight Playoff Berth
An 89th-minute header from Rylee Baisden locked in Ascent's second consecutive playoff spot and extended the team's unbeaten run to eight matches.
CMPD Reports 21 Percent Drop in Violent Crime, Warns 270 Vacancies Threaten to Undo It
Chief Estella Patterson reported violent crime down 21 percent and overall crime down 9 percent across Charlotte-Mecklenburg in 2025, but warned that roughly 270 CMPD vacancies and an unfunded ETJ mandate covering 86 square miles threaten to undo the gains. The BOCC also heard its third update on converting the former Bates 4th Row Library at 2324 LaSalle Street into a community center.
Charlotte City Council Passes First Post-Sales-Tax Transit Budget, Sends Street Vending Back to Committee
The first CATS budget built on the new 1% sales tax totals $571.7 million. Council rejected criminalizing street vendors. Staff recommended thirteen of eighteen housing trust fund proposals. The Stellar Awards are coming — but the city's check is not.
Mecklenburg County Chair Tells Staff to Explore Litigation Against State Over Property Tax Legislation
Mecklenburg County Commission Chair Mark Jerrell directed staff to explore litigation options against the state of North Carolina after a briefing on four property tax bills advancing through the General Assembly. The board's sharpest target: a proposed constitutional amendment that would cap annual property tax increases, threatening the county's ability to fund $484 million in state-mandated costs.
Charlotte's Red Line, Explained: The Commuter Rail That Took 25 Years to Start Building
Charlotte owns the railroad tracks, has a design contract, and a state law mandating the Red Line gets built before anything else. What it doesn't have yet is a train — and this commuter corridor has been 25 years in the making.
What Happened to CATS? How Charlotte's Transit System Went From City Department to Regional Authority
By July 1, 2026, CATS as a City of Charlotte department will cease to exist, absorbed into the new Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority. Here's how Charlotte's transit system went from city department to regional authority — and what it means.
How Charlotte's Transit Tax Works: What You're Paying, Where It Goes, and Who Controls It
Mecklenburg County voters approved a one-cent sales tax increase in November 2025. The PAVE Act splits the revenue 40/40/20 between roads, rail, and bus service — generating roughly $490 million annually. Here is how the money works and who controls it.
Gateway Station Charlotte: Why the City's Transit Hub Has Been 25 Years in the Making
Charlotte Gateway Station has $80 million in completed rail infrastructure and no station building. Phase 1 is done. Phase 2 has no start date. Here is why the project stalled — and how the MPTA may finally break the pattern.