Mecklenburg County Commission

County commissioners gave their preliminary approval to Mecklenburg’s $2.3 billion budget Thursday morning in a straw vote session. One item that commissioners are split on, however, is Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ request for a $2.5 billion bond package, which won approval in the budget by one vote.

Mecklenburg residents are all but certain to see property tax hikes in the coming years, as the county deals with rising costs and funds ambitious projects. At a meeting Tuesday, commissioners heard that they’ll likely have to raise property taxes in order to fund the hundreds of millions of dollars worth of new facilities they want to build.

Vice chair Elaine Powell asked if county commissioners could appeal the property tax values of golf courses, presumably to see if they could get a higher value. Tax assessor Ken Joyner said any property owner in Mecklenburg County can appeal any property valuation.

Mecklenburg County commissioners got a mixed report on the state of the county’s economic outlook Tuesday morning at their 2023 budget retreat, as they work to set spending and taxes for the coming year.

Mecklenburg County commissioners kicked off their three-day budget retreat Wednesday to discuss priorities for the fiscal year ahead. Mecklenburg Health Director Dr. Raynard Washington told commissioners his major goals center around greater equity.

The HIV diagnosis rate in Mecklenburg County have returned to pre-pandemic levels of 29.3 individuals per 100,000.

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Ella Scarborough has died. She was 75. Scarborough, a longtime executive at Duke Energy, was considered an icon in Charlotte politics.

Mecklenburg County’s Juvenile Detention Center would close this December under the county manager’s budget recommendation. That would mean many teenagers would go to facilities as far as three or four hours away from their families and lawyers.

Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio's proposed budget would keep property taxes steady. Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board members, meanwhile, say an increase in funding for the district isn't enough to attract and retain teachers.

Some Mecklenburg County commissioners voiced concern that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools isn't moving fast enough to adopt a new program to help kids read. CMS leaders say it isn't that simple.