OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Charlotte City Council Budget Adjustment Meeting - May 18, 2026

City Council — Monday, May 18, 2026
BodyCharlotte, North Carolina
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, May 18, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:40:06
Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

Thank you.

0:01

Thank you for the presentation.

0:04

Couple of questions.

0:05

So when we go back to the beginning and we look at the NCDLT and C.

0:09

Partnerships, and this is something you could bring back later, because I don't expect Peter have this answer.

0:14

But if we're thinking about partnerships, it would be nice to know currently how many unfunded role projects that are state responsibility that we have.

0:24

We know that we have been having conversations for years off of North Tryon and the Steel Creek area.

0:42

But if we're highlighting a partnership, one of our challenges as we experience the growth is the fact that a lot of the roads that need maintenance are crossing over and connected to those state maintained roles that are not being funded.

1:00

So as we look to believe that this will give us an opportunity to address some needs, the current needs still need to be identified.

1:11

So having an idea of how many unfunded roles in this beautiful little map would be helpful for me.

6:01

Good afternoon, everyone.

6:04

We are so grateful to see so many of you sitting here helping us decide what you want us to do and how we can do it well.

6:12

So I want to say thank you for being here, and um all of us are aware that we are at a time that it's very it's really the time to start putting the rubber against the road, right?

6:24

So that's not I shouldn't have said it that way.

6:27

Sorry about that.

6:27

Okay.

6:28

But for the process today, I am proposing that each council member be recognized to have an opportunity to express their perspectives and provide any suggestions for amendments or adjustments to the proposed manager's budget.

6:43

The budget staff will record the items for consideration on the screen, and then after we have heard from each council member, we'll go through the list to vote on those items.

6:55

As a reminder, that we have a rule around this that we have used, and it's I think pretty successfully is that we have um we have this reminder that says we will have the adjustments receiving the lease, at least five votes will be analyzed and costed out by the staff, and they will come back to the council and begin the work that we would have for a final document.

7:22

So before we get started, I want to make sure that we call it that I forgot we should we have a name for it, straw votes.

7:28

I don't think we have any straw, but they are votes for it.

7:31

So any questions on the process before we begin.

7:40

Has someone already picked up these, or is there a need to put these into the I'm not sure.

7:47

Okay, I'll read them in, no worries.

7:49

Okay, I don't have a copy of that letter.

7:57

All right, I'll take care of it.

7:58

No worries.

7:58

Okay, no, I'm sorry, just turned around on me.

8:01

Here we go.

8:01

That's fine.

8:02

It was covered up.

8:03

All right, so um, I hope that we would begin uh with us um beginning.

8:09

Um we're gonna start off with uh Miss Ashmira.

8:14

Okay, thank you, Madam Mayor.

8:16

So are we doing intro or just budget adjustments directly?

8:21

Budget adjustments.

8:22

This is where we are right now.

8:23

Okay.

8:53

Um, this helps us with uh keeping our trained officers, firefighters, while contributing uh while we honor their service and uh recovery.

9:06

Uh I do not have an amount for that.

9:09

Uh so I would like a budget staff to come back with that amount.

9:12

That's that's really what we will do as soon as we get up there, and then we'll go from there.

9:16

Okay, thanks.

9:18

Uh, second line item we have I have is restore safe alliance funding.

9:24

Um, in previous years, uh, they were funded approximately 400,000 uh to support victim assistance, uh, court support, and these are really essential services.

9:38

Um, from what I understand, the 24-hour hotline would not exist if we do not support it.

9:46

So I'm concerned about that.

9:48

Uh and I, you know, we are making increased investments in public safety thanks to the manager and the entire budget team.

9:55

Uh I think that's great because that shows our commitment to public safety, but I consider safe alliance funding as also part of public safety to protect survivors and domestic domestic violence survivors, and it helps prevent crisis from escalating in our neighborhoods.

10:15

Uh number three, so that's I think 393 some change, so roughly you can just put 400k.

10:28

Okay, and uh next item I have is allocate 100,000 dollars for to further struggle.

10:38

It's an organization that supports our youth uh in most vulnerable neighborhoods, and I've seen their work firsthand, as well as 100,000 to the Carolinas Asian American Chamber of Commerce.

10:50

Uh, we did see them speak at our public hearing, they support uh immigrant and refugee communities with language barriers to ensure that uh they have an access to opportunities and economic stability.

11:10

Number four I have is you can combine the two.

11:16

Uh it's probably better so that people can vote on them separately.

11:20

Thank you.

11:21

Okay.

11:22

So next item I have is transit equity for disabled residents.

11:30

Um from what I understood from talking with community members that um there is not currently a fair equity for STS riders, and I would like us to direct CATS to include fair equity for SDS riders, and also fund accessibility for visually impaired riders as part of the modernization plan.

12:02

Currently, our uh I looked at our fare table and it shows that SDS fares, it's at $3.50 and monthly passes at $140, while um our bus riders pay $1.10 cents and $44 monthly in our monthly pass.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Fiscal Sustainability██████████████████████████████30%
Miscellaneous████████████████16%
Economic Development██████████████14%
Personnel Matters███████████11%
Procedural██████████10%
Community Engagement█████5%
Engineering And Infrastructure████4%
Public Safety████4%
Transportation Planning██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Charlotte City Council Budget Adjustment Meeting - May 18, 2026

This is a special meeting of the Charlotte City Council to discuss and vote on proposed adjustments to the Fiscal Year 2027 budget. Councilmembers presented requests for funding modifications, debated the use of the financial partner scoring process, and conducted straw votes to determine which items staff would analyze for the final budget on June 1. The meeting began at approximately 6:15 PM and included discussion of public safety, transit equity, housing, economic development, and tax policy.

Discussion Items

  • Process Overview: The Mayor explained that each council member would present budget adjustment requests, which would be recorded. Items receiving at least five votes would be analyzed and costed by staff for a final vote on June 1. The votes were described as "straw votes" to explore options.
  • Councilmember Ashmir's Proposals: Requested restoration of Safe Alliance funding (~$400,000), funding for "For the Struggle" ($100,000) and Carolinas Asian American Chamber of Commerce ($100,000), transit fare equity for STS riders (noting STS fares are $3.50 vs. bus $1.10), and a request to identify options to reduce the proposed property tax increase while maintaining core investments.
  • Councilmember Watlington: Supported Safe Alliance funding, restoring pay parity for firefighters (estimated $4 million impact), and a land use and transportation model (~$300,000) for improved planning.
  • Letter from Mayor Pro Tem (read by Councilmember Watlington): Recommended raising firefighters to 10% pay level in alignment with CMPD, funding the Greater Enrichment Program ($200,000), supporting Safe Alliance, and exploring bringing the Military World Games to Charlotte in July 2027 (no funding request at this time).
  • Councilmember Mayo: Proposed a 4% increase for all city workers not tied to performance, firefighter 10% pay parity, Safe Alliance funding, and support for For the Struggle, Hearts for the Invisible, and Just Do It Movement.
  • Councilmember Owens: Supported modified duty positions for firefighters, Safe Alliance, STS fare equity with operational improvements, reduction of property tax increase (citing concerns about large increase after years of no incremental increases), and housing trust fund increase. Also suggested exploring code enforcement and pet fees to generate revenue.
  • Councilmember Mayfield: Raised concerns about the financial partner scoring process, noting that several organizations with high scores (90+) were not funded while lower-scoring organizations were being proposed. She argued for adhering to the established process and identified a potential funding source for firefighter pay parity: reducing CMPD's proposed increase from 10% to 7%, which would save $6.4 million and cover the $4.4 million needed for firefighters. Also discussed the housing trust fund capacity (one-time increase to $200 million would add 0.157 cents to property tax perpetuity).
  • Councilmember Johnson: Supported STS improvements (noting 48% increase in demand), a 7% across-the-board increase for all employees, restoring step increases for firefighters, and removing a $10 million helicopter hangar from the CIP. Also supported Safe Alliance, For the Struggle, Hearts for the Invisible, international relations expansion, property tax reduction options, and the Military World Games.
  • Councilmember Sanderson: Emphasized firefighter pay parity, Safe Alliance (citing a double-digit increase in domestic violence 911 calls, over 37,000 in 2025), Asian American Chamber funding, and Hearts for the Invisible as part of a broader homelessness strategy.
  • Councilmember Graham: Advocated for a 4% across-the-board raise for city workers (non-performance-based), firefighter 10% parity, Greater Enrichment Program, Safe Alliance, a dedicated international relations office (merging protocol, language access, and business recruitment), and recurring funding for For the Struggle, Hearts for the Invisible, and Just Do It Movement. Also supported the housing trust fund increase and the helicopter hangar as a need.
  • Councilmember Anderson: Supported modified duty positions, Safe Alliance (suggesting cobbling funds for this year), land use model, property tax reduction, housing trust fund increase, and removal of helicopter hangar (questioning its necessity given drone technology). Also suggested exploring code enforcement and animal adoption fees.
  • Manager Jones' Comments: Provided context on pay structures (step vs. merit), noted that 46% of firefighters have topped out (though later clarified as 20% by Councilmember Mayfield), and explained challenges in finding savings. He stated that most enhancements would require a higher property tax rate than proposed. Suggested Safe Alliance could be treated like Tree Charlotte (a non-financial partner) to secure ongoing funding.
  • Financial Partner Scoring Debate: Multiple councilmembers (Mayfield, Anderson, Owens) argued for adhering to the scoring process approved by council. Organizations like For the Struggle (score 82), Carolinas Asian American Chamber (score 48.8), and Greater Enrichment Program (did not attend mandatory session) were criticized for bypassing the system. Manager Jones confirmed that the scoring was objective and that the proposed budget included only organizations that met all requirements.

Key Outcomes

  • Items that received at least five straw votes and will be analyzed by staff for the June 1 final vote:
    • Add funding for five modified duty positions for Charlotte Fire (unanimous)
    • Restore Safe Alliance funding (unanimous)
    • Explore fare equity for STS riders (5 votes)
    • Identify potential options to reduce the property tax increase while preserving investments (5 votes)
    • Explore 10% pay parity for CFD (more than 5 votes)
    • Explore funding to develop a land use and transportation model (5 votes)
    • Explore a 4% across-the-board increase for hourly city workers (not merit-based) (7 votes)
    • Explore increasing housing trust fund to $200 million one-time (7 votes)
    • Explore funding for Prospera (5 votes)
    • Restore steps for fire pay plan (unfreeze steps for current year) (5 votes)
    • Explore increase to animal adoption fees and code enforcement fees (5 votes)
  • Items that did not receive five votes and will not move forward:
    • Funding for For the Struggle (4 votes)
    • Funding for Carolinas Asian American Chamber (4 votes)
    • Funding for Greater Enrichment Program (4 votes)
    • Funding for Hearts for the Invisible (4 votes)
    • Funding for Just Do It Movement (3 votes)
    • Decrease CMPD increase from 10% to 7% (3 votes)
    • Increase all employees to 7% (3 votes)
    • Increase business district organization funding (2 votes)
    • Remove helicopter hangar (2 votes)
  • The international relations expansion proposal was discussed at length but not voted on; councilmembers requested a memo from staff outlining the scope and goals before making a decision.
  • The meeting adjourned to proceed to a zoning meeting.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you. Thank you for the presentation. Couple of questions. So when we go back to the beginning and we look at the NCDLT and C. Partnerships, and this is something you could bring back later, because I don't expect Peter have this answer. But if we're thinking about partnerships, it would be nice to know currently how many unfunded role projects that are state responsibility that we have. We know that we have been having conversations for years off of North Tryon and the Steel Creek area. But if we're highlighting a partnership, one of our challenges as we experience the growth is the fact that a lot of the roads that need maintenance are crossing over and connected to those state maintained roles that are not being funded. So as we look to believe that this will give us an opportunity to address some needs, the current needs still need to be identified. So having an idea of how many unfunded roles in this beautiful little map would be helpful for me. Good afternoon, everyone. We are so grateful to see so many of you sitting here helping us decide what you want us to do and how we can do it well. So I want to say thank you for being here, and um all of us are aware that we are at a time that it's very it's really the time to start putting the rubber against the road, right? So that's not I shouldn't have said it that way. Sorry about that. Okay. But for the process today, I am proposing that each council member be recognized to have an opportunity to express their perspectives and provide any suggestions for amendments or adjustments to the proposed manager's budget. The budget staff will record the items for consideration on the screen, and then after we have heard from each council member, we'll go through the list to vote on those items. As a reminder, that we have a rule around this that we have used, and it's I think pretty successfully is that we have um we have this reminder that says we will have the adjustments receiving the lease, at least five votes will be analyzed and costed out by the staff, and they will come back to the council and begin the work that we would have for a final document. So before we get started, I want to make sure that we call it that I forgot we should we have a name for it, straw votes. I don't think we have any straw, but they are votes for it. So any questions on the process before we begin. Has someone already picked up these, or is there a need to put these into the I'm not sure. Okay, I'll read them in, no worries. Okay, I don't have a copy of that letter. All right, I'll take care of it. No worries. Okay, no, I'm sorry, just turned around on me. Here we go. That's fine. It was covered up. All right, so um, I hope that we would begin uh with us um beginning. Um we're gonna start off with uh Miss Ashmira. Okay, thank you, Madam Mayor. So are we doing intro or just budget adjustments directly? Budget adjustments. This is where we are right now. Okay. Um, this helps us with uh keeping our trained officers, firefighters, while contributing uh while we honor their service and uh recovery. Uh I do not have an amount for that. Uh so I would like a budget staff to come back with that amount. That's that's really what we will do as soon as we get up there, and then we'll go from there. Okay, thanks. Uh, second line item we have I have is restore safe alliance funding. Um, in previous years, uh, they were funded approximately 400,000 uh to support victim assistance, uh, court support, and these are really essential services. Um, from what I understand, the 24-hour hotline would not exist if we do not support it. So I'm concerned about that. Uh and I, you know, we are making increased investments in public safety thanks to the manager and the entire budget team. Uh I think that's great because that shows our commitment to public safety, but I consider safe alliance funding as also part of public safety to protect survivors and domestic domestic violence survivors, and it helps prevent crisis from escalating in our neighborhoods. Uh number three, so that's I think 393 some change, so roughly you can just put 400k.

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