Charlotte City Council Business Meeting

The Charlotte City Council met on Monday, September 14, 2026, in Room 267 of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center (600 East 4th Street, Charlotte, NC). Mayor Robert Harrington presided, joined by Mayor Pro Tem James Mitchell and Council Members Dimple Ajmera, Dante Anderson, JD Mazuera Arias, Ed Driggs, Malcolm Graham, Renee Johnson, LaWana Mayfield, Joi Mayo, Kimberly Owens, and Victoria Watlington. The meeting was broadcast on the Government Channel, the City's Facebook page, and the City's YouTube channel. Prior to the formal business meeting, the council held a discussion session on the I-77 South Express Lanes project ahead of the September 23rd CRTPO vote. The formal agenda included proclamations, the consent calendar, an interlocal agreement with UNC Charlotte for campus police, and the sale of city-owned land for affordable housing.

Proclamations

• Council Member Owens read a proclamation recognizing the periods of March through May and September through November as Bird Safe Awareness Months, supported by community partners including Wing Haven, Mecklenburg Audubon, Charlotte Wildlife Stewards, Discovery Place, and UNC Charlotte.
• Council Member Johnson read a proclamation recognizing September 2026 as Concussion Awareness Month in Charlotte.
• Mayor Harrington read a proclamation recognizing September 19, 2026, as Mayor's Monarch Pledge Day, encouraging residents to participate in community activities supporting and celebrating monarch butterflies.

Consent Calendar

• The council approved consent agenda items 17 through 46 by motion. Item 16 was pulled from the consent block and considered separately. Other consent materials noted in the agenda included a Resolution for the Refund of Property Taxes with a list of taxpayers, and a professional services contract with Ardurra Group North Carolina following a May 1, 2026 RFP.

Discussion Items

Item 12 - Interlocal Agreement with UNC Charlotte for Campus Police Council Member Mayfield asked clarifying questions about the city's commitments under the agreement and the impact of agreements with other bodies, including the Centralina Regional Council. The item was approved as read.

Item 14 - Sale of City-Owned Land for Affordable Housing The council considered the sale of city-owned land for affordable housing development, a property previously evaluated for affordable housing opportunities by city staff following a Request for Proposals issued November 26, 2024. The proposal included a 20-year affordability period during which units may not be leased at market rates, with assignment requiring the city's prior consent. Council Members Mayfield and Mayo questioned the 20-year affordability term. A motion to refer the item to committee for policy enhancements was made and discussed; one council member urged limiting the referral to this particular agenda item to avoid scope creep, while Council Member Driggs argued the council should see the item through rather than interfere at that point. Council Member Mitchell offered a separate motion to be considered after the referral vote. The referral was approved and the council proceeded to the next agenda item.

I-77 South Express Lanes Discussion (Pre-Meeting Session) Staff briefed the council on the I-77 South expansion, explicitly recommending no position, to establish a common factual basis ahead of a council action scheduled for Monday, September 21st and the CRTPO vote on September 23rd. Key facts presented:

• The project was proposed as two tolled express lanes in each direction along 11 miles of I-77 between the South Carolina state line and uptown Charlotte.
• On May 20, 2026, Charlotte, Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, Mecklenburg County, Mint Hill, Monroe, and the MTC voted to rescind support for the project, totaling 47 weighted votes.
• Staff cited a written NCDOT commitment letter as a change from prior oral assurances.
• If CRTPO votes to support a P3 delivery option, the next steps would include a CRTPO working group of board members and their designees partnering with NCDOT to develop project objectives and priorities; once NCDOT drafts key terms, CRTPO would have 60 days to review prior to any public advertisement.
• Staff reviewed the city's two steady-state budget models (transportation, and affordable housing/public facilities), noting that funds programmed for future bond referendums are not 'free and clear,' that a one-time fund-balance expenditure is not for operating and could generate questions, and that if payment is more likely than not, external auditors may require the city to expense it on its balance sheet before the end of the fiscal year. Staff also cited North Carolina law requiring every city expenditure to serve a public purpose with the primary benefit flowing to the city's own citizens.
• Staff committed to compiling a summary of community input to share later that week, and noted that members of the public would be able to sign up to speak on the item at the September 21st council meeting after the agenda is published.

Council member positions and concerns:

• Council Member Driggs said the situation is 'driven by fear' and questioned whether the choice is between driving a harder bargain for better terms or saying no, asking what comes next if the council cannot reach agreement the following week.
• A council member said the community where the project would be located does not support it; that they had not heard anyone other than the business community support it; that the city has no leverage it is willing to use; and that 'if you're not at the table, you are on the menu.'
• Council Member Johnson asked whether property taxes could be raised and affordable housing reduced if the city does not move forward, noted the lack of cost details and dates for the $70 million figure, and said the council had spent more time talking about punishments than benefits. She also stated that, to her knowledge, there is no contract between the City of Charlotte and any developers or vendors associated with NCDOT related to the project, and asked what responsibility the state would have to ensure commitments are completed.
• Council Member Mayo said the moment was not for pointing fingers at colleagues, since it was clear that not everyone had complete or near-complete information throughout the process.
• Council Member Anderson said that if the council really wants to support I-77, it is about community benefits, and asked that the council move efficiently to the business meeting.
• Council Member Owens said no one is going to get 100% of what they want.
• One council member who voted to rescind support said their opposition was never about rejecting community benefits, but about going back to the drawing board to create a fair project for corridor residents.
• Another council member said small business owners must receive full relocation expenses and business interruption compensation, and that the city should ask for far greater than that.
• One member referenced an October 14, 2024 meeting at which the 'fine print' of the I-77 proposal reportedly showed the city council would not have much or any flexibility to say no.
• One member noted the city has many priorities before the state government over the next year and a half, including expanding the HTA hospitality tax for economic development projects over the next two to three years.

Housing Moratorium Extension Council leadership announced that the housing committee had voted to refer a proposal to extend the existing moratorium to full council. A detailed presentation is scheduled for September 28th, covering all work completed to date and a proposed extension timeline.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda items 17 through 46 were approved; item 16 was considered separately.
• Item 12 (interlocal agreement with UNC Charlotte for campus police) was approved.
• Item 14 (sale of city-owned land for affordable housing) was referred to committee for policy enhancement discussion limited to that item.
• The council is scheduled to take action on the I-77 South Express Lanes at its September 21st meeting, ahead of the CRTPO vote on September 23rd.
• Staff will deliver a community input summary later in the week of September 14th.
• A detailed housing moratorium extension presentation is scheduled for September 28th.

Note on Transcript Discrepancies

The transcript attributes several remarks to 'Council Member Adams,' 'Council Member Drake,' and 'Council Member Drags,' none of whom appear on the official September 14, 2026 attendance roster. These are likely transcription errors for Council Member Anderson and Council Member Driggs, who do appear in the transcript. This summary attributes those remarks accordingly.