Top Stories for March 19, 2025
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 met on Tuesday, March 18. The agenda is available online and the meeting can be viewed on MeckTV. The Board’s next budget and public policy meeting is scheduled for March 25 at 2:30 p.m.
1. Latta Place Design: Mecklenburg County is set to reveal the final design for historic Latta Place, illustrating envisioned updates to the site’s landscape and built environment. The reveal will take place at a community meeting on Thursday, March 20, at the North County Regional Library in Huntersville. Residents are encouraged to attend the meeting, where they will see the plans for the first time, hear about the robust community engagement and planning processes, and learn about the future of the project.
2. “Strong and Robust”: The state of Mecklenburg County is “strong and robust” because of the dynamic diversity in its workforce, educational institutions, local economy, and unique community. Board of County Commissioners Chair Mark Jerrell delivered the annual State of the County address on March 19. He reports that diversity has and will continue to serve as the catalyst for the County’s strength, resilience and success, and that the County will continue to respond to the needs and concerns of our citizens wherever and whenever they arise.
3. Federal Impact on Mecklenburg: The Board received an update on potential impacts to Mecklenburg County operations due to policies being enacted at the federal level. According to the broad overview presented during the Board’s informal session by the County's Intergovernmental Affairs Manager, Mecklenburg County could experience funding impacts in the areas Health and Human Services, Environmental Services, and to local non-profit partners. No action was taken by the Board. The County will continue to research and monitor federal actions and their impact on the community.
4. Investing in Jobs: The Board approved two Business Investment Program grants for companies that recently announced expansions in Mecklenburg County. RXO, a high-tech freight transportation broker, received a five-year grant up to $223,411. RXO is expected to invest $13.7 million, and bring 216 new jobs over the next several years to the Ballantyne submarket while retaining more than 700 jobs. groninger USA, LLC, an international manufacturer of filling and closing machines for the pharmaceutical, consumer healthcare and cosmetics industries, received a five-year grant up to $168,353. groninger is expected to invest $15.1 million and bring 60 new jobs to the Steele Creek submarket.
5. Preserving Our Farms: The Board received a presentation to consider establishing a Voluntary Agricultural District (VAD) ordinance and program in Mecklenburg County. The VAD is a voluntary program that aims to promote, protect and preserve local farmland, decrease the likelihood of legal disputes between farms and their neighbors, and encourage agricultural economic development. Bona fide farms will be eligible to apply for inclusion in the program. The VAD ordinance would also establish a County Agricultural Advisory Board as an additional means of supporting and giving voice to the Mecklenburg agricultural community. Mecklenburg County contains more than 10,000 acres of agricultural land and is currently one of nine counties in North Carolina currently without a VAD program. The establishment of a VAD ordinance in Mecklenburg County is a direct recommendation of the Farmland Preservation Plan.
6. Coming Together for Our Creeks: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services and its partners are hosting events March 22-29 to celebrate Creek Week, an appreciation of the 3,000 miles of creeks in Mecklenburg County. There will be 20 educational and volunteer opportunities throughout the week. Residents can sign up to clean up a creek near their neighborhood, spend a lunch hour volunteering, or take part in one of the many activities on the calendar. The week concludes with The Big Spring Clean on Saturday, March 29, from 9 a.m. to noon, as hundreds of residents gather at creek locations for a one-day cleanup event.
7. A Century Well Lived: March is Social Work Month, and nothing shows the dedication of Mecklenburg County social workers like those who organized a very special birthday party. Mamie Horton is a long-time client of the Senior Citizens Nutrition Program and celebrated her 100th birthday this month. The celebration at Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center featured keepsakes and stories from Ms. Horton’s long and busy life in Charlotte. Her advice to young people? “Love everybody, keep working, and try to help wherever there’s need,” she says. Mecklenburg County’s Senior Citizens Nutrition Program provides nutrition support and socialization opportunities to people 60 years and older residing in Mecklenburg County, free of cost.