Charlotte City Council

The Charlotte City Council's Job and Economic Development Committee approved a request to ask for more funding to build a sports complex at the former Eastland site.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission voted in December to make the 110-year-old Steele Creek Presbyterian Manse a landmark. The recommendation was never passed on to the Charlotte City Council.

The race is not to run against Vi Lyles. But to succeed her, whenever she decides not to run again. But last Monday's City Council vote to spend $650 million to renovate Bank of America Stadium was the unofficial campaign opening for several council members, even if we don’t know when that campaign will be.

The Charlotte City Council voted 7-3 Monday night to approve spending $650 million worth of tax money to help renovate Bank of America Stadium. Under the deal, Tepper Sports and Entertainment would contribute $150 million of its own money to the improvements in the next four years, for a total of $800 million, and would then spend roughly $420 million more on the stadium in the decade after that.

Despite the huge sum of money at stake, and Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper’s checkered past when it comes to fulfilling public development plans, the five committee members showed little interest in asking hard questions about the proposal, which would keep the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC here for 15 years.

Charlotte Economic Development Director Tracy Dodson said Wednesday that $650 million in public money "isn't going to Tepper Sports and Entertainment." But her statement is arguably an oversimplification as well as misleading.

Of the more than 400 people who filled out an online survey about the city of Charlotte's proposed $650 million plan to renovate Bank of America Stadium, a vast majority opposed it.

Council members voted Monday night to approve Charlotte’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins next month. They had been weighing whether to reduce a property tax rate increase from 1.5 cents to 1.37 cents. Lowering the size of the tax increase would have reduced the city’s Capital Investment Plan by $65 million.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools laid out a plan Monday to build 100 affordable housing units for teachers, and a Charlotte City Council committee recommended earmarking $1 million to get the work started.

In the 15 years that Steve Harrison has covered politics in Charlotte, a handful of votes have sharply divided the City Council and captured the public’s attention. Here's a look back at five standouts.