Top Stories for Feb. 5, 2026

1. A Home for All: A Home for All, an initiative to create a community where homelessness is rare, brief, and nonrecurring, is transitioning to a partnership between Mecklenburg County and Foundation For The Carolinas, from United Way of Greater Charlotte. A Home for All will be housed in the County’s Department of Community Support Services’ division of Housing Innovation and Stabilization Services, under a model that includes Foundation For The Carolinas as lead fundraiser, an advisory council, and the Continuum of Care. In assuming operational responsibility for the initiative, the Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 4 approved the creation of four staff positions, all funded by dollars previously appropriated for administration of A Home for All.

2. Building a Budget: Mecklenburg County will spend the next several months building a budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 following the Board’s retreat on Jan. 28 and 30. All agendas, materials, and videos from the retreat are available online. County Manager Mike Bryant is scheduled to present his budget recommendation on May 14, a public hearing will be held on May 21, and the Board will adopt the FY2026-2027 budget on June 3. More information about the budget process is available at Budget.MeckNC.gov.

3. A Century of Black History: The Board proclaimed February as Black History Month in Mecklenburg County. The proclamation recognized this year’s theme “A Century of Black History Commemorations” and the evolution of black history study and celebration since 1926. Park and Recreation is celebrating Black History Month with several events that honor the legacy of Black Americans in Mecklenburg County and beyond. Learn more about and register for these and other Black History Month events with Park and Recreation.

4. Real Love Respects: The Board proclaimed February 2026 as Teen Dating Violence (TDV) Awareness and Prevention Month. One in three young people in the United States experiences abuse by a dating partner annually. In an average Mecklenburg County classroom, that’s more than 10 students. “Real Love Respects” is this year’s theme, with Feb. 9-13 designated as Respect Week, and Feb. 10 as Wear Orange Day. Mecklenburg County encourages the community to help raise awareness of teen dating violence and share the value of respect in relationships. Anyone in need of support for domestic violence or sexual assault can call the 24/7 Greater Charlotte Hope Line at 980-771-HOPE (4673).

5. Playbook for Parks: Mecklenburg County is inviting community members to help shape the future of local parks and recreation. Park and Recreation is updating Meck Playbook, a 10-year master plan adopted in 2021. The plan sets the County’s vision for investing in parks, nature centers, recreation centers, trails, environmental preservation and sustainability, programs, and staffing. Public workshops are scheduled for Feb. 5 and Feb. 7, and residents can take part in a short community survey. Since adopting Meck Playbook, Park and Recreation has grown operations by more than 60 full-time staff and more than $600 million in capital projects.

6. Meck Jobs at Siemens: Siemens Energy has announced it will further expand its operations in Mecklenburg County as part of a $421 million expansion across North Carolina, creating 500 new jobs statewide. Building on the $150 million investment announced two years ago, Siemens Energy will make additional investments to expand its large power transformer manufacturing facility and increase service capacity to meet heightened demand. Also in Charlotte, Siemens Energy is expanding its generator capacity and will resume gas turbine manufacturing after a six-year pause.