Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles on Monday night asked City Council member Renee Johnson to work with her on ways to improve council relationships. Her outreach came as the council remained sharply divided over a reported $300,000 settlement made to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings.
After the City Council reached a settlement, Council Member Victoria Watlington sent an email to her constituents. She wrote that the way the city handled the settlement showed a “brazen disregard for dissenting opinions and the rule of law.”
Lyles and other council members pushed back strongly against Watlington’s allegations last week.
But in reaching out to Watlington’s friend and ally, Council Member Renee Johnson, the mayor appeared to acknowledge that there are festering problems on the 11-member board.
Johnson said yes — though she alluded to her own difficulties with the mayor, including Lyles endorsing a primary opponent against her two years ago.
"You and I have some healing to do. And I look forward to that opportunity. I want to do something different. Dr. Watlington has also expressed frustration with how things have gone," she said.
The settlement was made because Jennings was upset over threatening text message he received last year from former City Council member Tariq Bokhari.
