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$2.6 Billion City Budget Proposal Up For Public Comment

DAVID BORAKS / WFAE

Charlotte residents will have a chance to comment Monday evening on a proposed city budget that would boost police pay and raise the property tax rate in the coming year.

City Manager Marcus Jones proposed a $2.6 billion budget last week for the fiscal year that begins July 1.   It would fund a 6.5 percent pay raise for CMPD officers and bring the starting salary for a police recruit with a four-year college degree to $50,987.

Charlotte firefighters would get a 1.5 percent market adjustment pay boost, plus scheduled salary increases. 

On the revenue side, the city manager’s budget would raise Charlotte’s property tax rate for the first time since 2013. The one-cent increase (per $100 of assessed value) would mean an extra $25 in property taxes per-year, on a $250,000 home. 

The budget proposal would also more-than triple the size of a planned bond referendum this fall for affordable housing. The proposed $50 million would boost a city trust fund that helps finance affordable housing.

The public hearing is scheduled to begin just after 5:30 p.m. Monday at the government center. City council members will consider amendments to the city manager’s proposal Wednesday.  Final budget approval is currently set for June 11. 

Prior to the city council’s business session, council members will review a proposal to partner with Mecklenburg County on a plan to renovate Memorial Stadium.  The council’s economic development committee voted 3-1 last month to recommend that the city contribute up to $3 million in tourism tax revenue to help install artificial turf at the stadium.  

Mark Rumsey grew up in Kansas and got his first radio job at age 17 in the town of Abilene, where he announced easy-listening music played from vinyl record albums.