Marcus Jones
City Manager, City of Charlotte
Coverage (13 articles)
Charlotte Voters Approve All Three City Bonds
Charlotte voters approved all three city bond questions on Nov. 3, letting the city borrow $425 million for streets, sidewalks and affordable housing, in the state's unofficial count.
Charlotte Bond Vote: $425 Million for Streets and Housing
Charlotte's down payment account was at zero in September, and the next money is a $125 million housing bond, a council member said. It is one of three city bond questions, $425 million in all, on the Nov. 3 ballot.
What Charlotte Got in Writing on I-77
Eight days before the agreement was signed, the city's lawyer told council no agreement existed yet.
Charlotte Eyes DOJ Model Cities Deal; Some Terms Come 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.
SNAP Penalty Could Cost Mecklenburg Up to $42 Million a Year
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.
Council Backs 10% Firefighter Raise in 10-1 Straw Vote
Charlotte City Council voted 10-1 Monday to direct the city manager to give the Charlotte Fire Department the same 10 percent raise as police, closing a pay gap that drew months of firefighter protest. The $4.4 million cost comes from fire overtime and public-safety technology budgets. Final budget adoption is June 8.
Charlotte Council Takes On Budget, I-77 and Data Centers
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 I-77 South toll lanes, and the council's first formal floor discussion of data centers. Council Member Malcolm Graham, who chairs the budget committee, was asked twice on television Sunday whether he is a candidate to fill Mayor Vi Lyles's seat after she steps down June 30. Both times he answered with the public hearing.
Charlotte Council Passes First Post-Sales-Tax Transit Budget
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.
Charlotte's $50M Housing Bond Is a Non-Starter, Council Says
City staff proposed cutting Charlotte's affordable housing bond from $100 million to $50 million in the FY2027 budget. Council members from across the dais rejected the number, with Mayfield requesting modeling at $200M–$300M and Graham calling $50M a non-starter. The November 2026 bond referendum is the deadline.
Charlotte City Council Q1 2026: Budget, Toll Lanes, Housing
Charlotte City Council spent Q1 2026 juggling a razor-thin budget, a toll lane revolt, affordable housing policy, and a transit authority handoff with a July deadline.
Charlotte Crime Down 29%, But Residents Still Feel Unsafe
New CMPD Chief Stella Patterson told state legislators violent crime is down 29% in Charlotte, but residents still feel unsafe. Bridging that gap defines her first 90 days on the job.
How Transit Leaders Botched Blue Line Crisis Response
Charlotte's transit leaders turned a tragedy into a communications disaster. Here's the crisis management playbook they ignored, and what they should have said instead.
Vi Lyles Seeks Fifth Mayoral Term, Eyes Mobility Tax
Vi Lyles files for a fifth mayoral term, faces scant opposition, and eyes a mobility sales‑tax legacy while City Council dysfunction simmers.
Other coverage in the Mercury Local network
Charlotte Weighs 9 P.M. Curfew; Liddell-McNinch Hearing Set
Council took no vote on the youth curfew. The transcript also records a Sept. 28 hearing for the Liddell-McNinch House, which Charlotte designated historic property 50 years ago.