Top Stories for July 16, 2025

For the 2024-2025 school year, MECK Pre-K graduated 1,755 children across the community. They join the thousands of children for whom MECK Pre-K has helped build strong educational foundations since 2018.

Mecklenburg County provides this weekly rundown of top stories from the Board of County Commissioners meetings and the Public Information Department’s newsroom. The Board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Aug. 6 at 6 p.m. The agenda will be available online and the meeting can be viewed on MeckTV.

1. Roads, Rail and Buses: The Board of County Commissioners has begun the process to allow Mecklenburg County voters to decide whether to raise the sales tax by 1-cent to fund transportation projects. A public hearing is scheduled for Aug. 6 after which the Board will vote on whether to add the referendum to the November ballot. Commissioner Vilma D. Leake (District 2) has scheduled two community meetings to educate residents about transportation issues and the proposed referendum: July 22 at Steele Creek AME Zion Church and July 31 at West Charlotte Recreation Center. The meetings will feature presentations from Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) and include information on services, expansion plans, and the proposed referendum. 

2. Swimming by the Hour: Public Health is helping residents stay safe as North Carolina pool owners are now allowed to rent their residential swimming pools through a sharing economy platform without getting a County pool permit. The N.C. law that allows the sharing went into effect July 1. Public Health recommends safety standards including testing and maintaining water chemical levels; proper signage; life-saving equipment; proper fencing; properly fitted submerged suction covers; and a nonslip pool deck. 

3. MECK Pre-K Breaks Record: MECK Pre-K has registered more than 1,830 children for next year, a record number since its launch in 2018. MECK Pre-K is Mecklenburg County’s free, high-quality pre-K program for all four-year-olds, available at no cost to families.  There is still plenty of time and space for families to enroll their children in MECK Pre-K, regardless of income, with more opportunities to come. This year, the Board approved funding for 10 new classrooms. Residents can visit MECK Pre-K for more information and to submit an application. 

4. Urban Oasis: The Story of Park and Recreation: County Commissioners have proclaimed July as Park and Recreation Month in Mecklenburg County. Now with a collaboration between WTVI / PBS Charlotte and the Park and Recreation Department, you can learn more about the history of our local parks, greenways, and nature preserves. PBS Charlotte’s Trail of History series takes a close look at how Charlotte-Mecklenburg's early parks began, how the County’s park system grew to more than 22,000 acres, and how amenities evolved from simple playgrounds to skate parks, pickleball courts, and more.  

5. Rehabbed Recycling Center: Mecklenburg County’s recycling center at William R. Davie Park has re-opened, after work to rehab it into a staffed center. The improved center accepts curbside recycling items, as well as most enhanced recycling items. Staff will now be on-site to help residents properly recycle items. Acceptable items include plastic bottles and jugs with necks, aluminum and steel cans, glass bottles, paper and cardboard, rechargeable batteries, books, textiles, food scraps and more.