Charlotte City Council Meeting - June 22, 2026: Appointment of Interim Mayor and Recognition of Mayor Lyles
Charlotte City Council Meeting - June 22, 2026: Appointment of Interim Mayor and Recognition of Mayor Lyles
On June 22, 2026, the Charlotte City Council held a business meeting that included the appointment of a new interim mayor following the retirement of Mayor Vi Lyles, approval of a red light camera pilot program, and multiple public hearings. The meeting also featured tributes to Mayor Lyles, who received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, and proclamations for LGBTQ Pride Month and Vitiligo Awareness Month. The council heard from over 30 public speakers on the mayoral vacancy and other issues, and ultimately appointed Robert Harrington as interim mayor after a two-ballot runoff.
Consent Calendar
- Consent items 25 through 59 were approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Trucking Infrastructure: Avante Jackson, a trucker advocate and heart transplant recipient, called for addressing bottleneck traffic on I-77, I-85, and I-485, improved public education on sharing the road with trucks, fair pay for drivers, and better safety for female truck drivers.
- District 1 Concerns: Linda Byers (District 1 resident) and Tamara Elise (District 1 resident) raised concerns about safety, quality of life, parking, noise, and loitering in Uptown Charlotte, noting a petition with over 200 signatures. They questioned whether District 1 is being forgotten amid development.
- Data Center Opposition: Jeff Cross (Charlotte Metro DSA) urged the council to prevent future data center construction, arguing state gerrymandering limits democratic options. Capri Matthews (Charlotte Metro DSA) suggested using zoning adjustments similar to those used to halt ICE detention centers in Greensboro. Layla Saiya (UNCC student and DSA member) argued data centers provide few jobs and called for a longer-term moratorium.
- Cyclist Safety: Jack Adams recounted a June 3 e-bike crash on Elizabeth Avenue due to bike lane ending at streetcar tracks, requesting a dedicated bike lane across the entire Gold Line.
- Hispanic Homeownership: Annabelle Rodriguez (President of NARAP Charlotte) presented the 2025 Hispanic Home Ownership Report, noting Hispanic families account for 92.7% of net U.S. homeownership growth and a 50.2% Latino homeownership rate in North Carolina.
- Free Laundry Day: Ashton McGrady (Operation Clean Health) announced the inaugural National Back to School Free Laundry Day in August 2026, asking for council support.
- Housing Innovation vs. Zoning: Evan (speaker) questioned the Housing Innovation Challenge, arguing the housing crisis requires eliminating restrictive zoning regulations such as setbacks, parking requirements, and double stairwell rules.
- Traffic Fatalities: Megan Fenzel (co-chair, Mission Zero Task Force) read the names of 41 people killed in Charlotte traffic crashes in 2026, urging implementation of the red light camera pilot before 2027.
- Public Pulse App: Gabriel Joseph Kejik Olshnner proposed a "North Carolina State Communicator" app to help leaders gather verified public input.
- Sanitation Worker Pay: Carson Cohn noted that city website claims a $24/hour minimum wage for sanitation workers, but actual pay is $16/hour, and asked for a raise.
- Interim Mayor Endorsements: 31 speakers addressed the council on the mayoral vacancy. Multiple speakers endorsed James Mitchell (citing experience, small business advocacy, and crisis management), Carrie Cook (citing community leadership, nonprofit work, and housing advocacy), and Robert Harrington (citing legal experience, cross-sector engagement, and calm leadership). Garland Green urged council to consider crisis management ability. Jasmine Allen and Hannah Hassan spoke for Cook. Nicole Grace, Mindy Mills Henson, Rochelle Stewart, Melinda McVaden, and others spoke for Mitchell. William Youngblood, Molly Barker, Chelsea Evans Okiagu, Gina Esquiville, and Tanya Archer spoke for Harrington.
Discussion Items
- Recognition of Mayor Lyles: The council presented Mayor Vi Lyles with multiple honors, including a street sign bearing her name and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine (North Carolina's highest civilian honor), presented by Walter Bowers (Governor's Office Director). Council members and the public praised her 30+ years of public service, COVID leadership, and racial equity initiatives.
- Proclamations: June 2026 was proclaimed LGBTQ Pride Month and Vitiligo Awareness and Education Month.
- Historic Landmark Designation – Dilworth Methodist Church: A public hearing was held. The property owner (speaker) supported the designation as the oldest church in Dilworth (110+ years). Councilmember Mayfield objected to holding the hearing and decision on the same agenda, moving to refer the process issue to the BGIR committee. The motion passed. The item was then adopted with Mayfield opposed.
- Historic Landmark Designation – Ford House: Public hearing opened and closed; motion to adopt passed with Mayfield opposed (same process concern).
- Historic Landmark Designations – Other: Item 10 (bonds) and other hearings adopted similarly, with Mayfield consistently opposing due to process.
- Red Light Camera Pilot Program (Item 12): Councilmember Anderson presented the safety committee's recommendation for a one-year pilot program targeting the top 10 high-accident intersections. Motion to adopt resolution and ordinance amendments passed unanimously.
- Solid Waste Apprenticeship Grant (Item 13): Approved a $12,000 grant from Apprenticeship NC for solid waste services apprenticeships. Councilmember Anderson praised the solid waste workforce, noting they have only 12 street sweepers for a nearly million-person city.
- Stormwater Financing (Item 14): Initial findings resolution adopted unanimously.
- General Obligation Refunding Bonds (Item 15): Approved A through F; Councilmember Watlington recused.
- General Obligation Bond Referendum (Item 16): Introduced three bond orders for transportation ($280M), neighborhood improvements ($20M), and housing ($125M). Motion approved.
- University City Municipal Service District Boundary Expansion (Item 17): Approved.
- Habitat for Humanity/ Robinson Church Road Widening (Item 18): Accepted $52,000 contribution; approved.
- Interlocal Agreement with Town of Midland (Item 19): Approved for water/sewer infrastructure.
- Bank of America Stadium Lease Amendment (Item 20): Amendment to lease a triangular 0.24-acre parcel (10,500 sq ft) for a 4,400-seat performance venue. Councilmember Mayfield opposed, citing lack of specific community benefits. Councilmember Johnson suggested deferral for market value appraisal (failed 4-7). After debate, the amendment passed 7-3 (Mayfield, Johnson, Watlington opposed).
- CRTPO MOU Amendment (Item 21): Approved to add MPTA as a member.
- PAVE Act Interlocal Agreement (Item 22): Approved agreement between city and MPTA for transit operations; one opposed.
- Salary Adjustment for City Clerk: Council approved an 8% salary increase for City Clerk Stephanie Kelly, effective July 4, 2026.
Key Outcomes
- Interim Mayor Appointed: Robert Harrington was appointed as interim mayor, receiving six or more council votes on the second ballot (runoff between Harrington and Carrie Cook, after no candidate reached six votes in the first round: Harold Codale 2, Carrie Cook 3, Robert Harrington 4, James Mitchell 2). Harrington will serve until the expiration of the elected mayor's term. The council voted by acclamation to appoint.
- Red Light Camera Pilot Approved: One-year pilot program at top 10 intersections, with data-driven evaluation.
- Stadium Lease Amendment Passed: The triangular parcel will be added to the Bank of America Stadium lease for a performance venue; council rejected deferral.
- Public Hearing Process Referred: Councilmember Mayfield's motion to refer the practice of holding hearings and decisions on the same agenda item to the BGIR committee for process review was approved.
- Mayor Lyles Honored: Received Order of the Long Leaf Pine and a street sign.
- Future Actions: The council will hold a citywide public safety summit on June 24, 2026. Councilmember Mayfield requested an update from Charlotte Water on non-electricity-dependent water systems amid potential blackouts.
Meeting Transcript
Charlotte, how we win. Today you have business leaders, you have political leaders, you have educators, you have community leaders. And I would also note that you have the governor and the secretary, and again, political city and county officials, they didn't just court you, right, and recruit you and send a welcome letter. They showed up. And that's what we do here in Charlotte. We show up. We show up together. And I think that is something that's very special here in this community that we're excited to have you be a part of. Charlotte, as you heard, is one of the largest, the largest, second largest financial community, not in the in just the region, but in the country, and you heard that 3,800 of those jobs are financial jobs, which again, the most important part for us is there's a lot more room for growth here in this market. So as we close here today, we assure you that this community, this business community, is about building winning cultures of which you're a part of. Thank you.org. Can't believe you're doing this alone. I've done it before. I remember. You threw your back out. How you holding up? I'm really bored. Nothing wrong with getting help. I'm good. I did it when Felicia left. I'll figure it out. I know you will, but you don't have to do it alone. That's all I'm saying. If I promised to look into it, we'd drop it and help me build this fence. Now you need the help. It'd be a real pain sometimes. If you or a veteran you know need support, don't wait. Reach out. Find resources at VA.gov slash reach. Eyes forward, don't drive distracted. Your life sounds pretty great. Don't let a buzz ruin it. Buzz driving is drunk driving. Good evening, everyone. Good evening, everyone. You know that's X the exercise clap once. All right, we're almost ready. So thank you. Um today has been a day that I'm sure several of you probably already know about this, but it's something that I think is special when you are in the ability to be serving the community no matter when it happens to you. But today I just want to recognize that we just lost Eddie Knox, who is the mayor of Charlotte for many, many years, many more than me. And um, just to have him be a presence, um, and what he had done in our work and all of the things that were happening. You know, he and I believe Harvey Gantt was the next mayor, and then that he was still with working. He was a lawyer. He was someone that really loved this community, all of it, not just the parts that were up north, but he made it possible for many of us to do things that we didn't do. But I knew an Eddie Knox, um, I knew him when I was just a first staffer person in the city, and I wanted you to be sure to know and understand that he was the kind of person that cared deeply about our city, our state, but he carried a lot more um apologies and thoughts to NC State where he went to college. And I just think that when we have these kinds of opportunities to say something out of order, to just have a quiet moment for the plan that he is the man that he has been, the mayor that he was, and the person that can make something happen all the time. So with that, if we would just take one minute for and you know, he has a wife and children, and I want to make sure that they understand that we are standing with him and really make sure that we understand that he was a great person and did so much for our city. Thank you very much. If you will bow for just a few minutes. Well, thank you all.
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