Charlotte Mayor Rob Harrington was sworn in last week after being appointed by City Council to succeed Vi Lyles. Harrington, a longtime Charlotte business attorney and civic leader, will serve the remaining 18 months of Lyles' term and has said he does not plan to seek election in 2027.
In his first interview with WFAE since taking office, Harrington discussed his priorities as mayor, the future of the I-77 South toll lane project, public safety and Charlotte's pause on new data center applications.
He sat down with WFAE's Nick de la Canal in the mayor's office at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center.
On his priorities as mayor
Rather than naming a single policy issue, Harrington said one of his top priorities is making sure City Council functions effectively and that residents feel heard.
He pointed to his experience leading organizations like the North Carolina Bar Association, saying his role as mayor is to create an environment where difficult issues can be debated openly.
"The key is making sure that the folks who are working so hard, starting with the council, get heard. That there is a process that allows voices to be heard, allows the community to see that its business is being conducted in an effective and efficient way," he said.
On being a "business-friendly" mayor
Harrington embraced the description, saying it was "natural" given his decades of experience as a business litigator at the Charlotte law firm Robinson Bradshaw, but he said his experience extends well beyond the corporate world.
He said he's also an active member of his Baptist church, and has served on the Arts and Science Council and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library Board. He said he hopes to bridge Charlotte's business community with the broader community.
"I think I know the business sector here in Charlotte pretty well ... But we've also been heavily involved in the community," Harrington said.
"Being able to bridge the different communities, make sure that business is attentive to the needs of the community, and that the community understands the importance of the business sector to our mutual success is important."
On the I-77 South toll lane dispute
One of the first major policy questions facing Harrington is whether Charlotte should challenge provisions in the new state budget that could affect the future of the stalled I-77 South toll lane project.
The legislation could force the city to either move the project forward or repay tens of millions of dollars already spent on planning and design.
Asked whether Charlotte should consider legal action, Harrington was noncommittal.
Instead, he said the city should carefully review the legislation, share information with the public and work with state leaders. He spoke in careful, opaque language that reflected his experience as an attorney.
"We need to engage urgently in a process that allows information to be shared in a trustworthy manner and allows the community at large to engage," he said.
"We respect the role that the governor has, we respect the role the General Assembly has ... I think we need to find a way to work together and move forward."
On public safety
Although crime statistics have declined in many categories, Harrington acknowledged many Charlotte residents still don't feel safe.
He said changing that perception is just as important as reducing crime itself.
"The perception is as important as the reality," Harrington said. He also praised Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Estella Patterson, calling her widely respected and saying city leaders must continue earning residents' trust.
On data centers
City leaders recently approved a temporary pause on new data center applications for 150 days while they study their impacts.
Harrington said the city shouldn't view data centers solely as a burden. He argued that artificial intelligence and other digital technologies will increasingly shape daily life.
"The need for data centers is here. It's not coming, it's here," Harrington said. "How do we share both the benefits ... of artificial intelligence and our digital world ... but also share the burdens? I mean the burdens are going to come with that," he said.
He said officials should study issues including electricity and water demand, as well as the size of future facilities, during the city's 150-day review period.
On defining success
Harrington said he hopes residents remember his tenure not for a single policy victory, but for improving how City Hall operates.
"If we preserved order and efficiency on council and we made the community feel a part of that ... I think we will have done a pretty good job in 18 months," Harrington said. After his term ends, he said he plans to return to his law practice.
