Top Stories for March 26, 2025

Three headshots (two women and one man) positioned on the left-hand side of teal, navy blue and red striped background.

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 25. The agenda is available online and the meeting can be viewed on MeckTV. The Board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for April 1 at 6 p.m.

1. Share Your View. Shape Our Future. The Office of Management and Budget has concluded its annual resident budget priority survey. The Board of County Commissioners received a report on budget public engagement for the FY2025-2026 budget, including the introduction of the results dashboard. Other outreach included community and student outreach, public hearings, a budget simulator, and other avenues. The goal is to learn what’s important to Mecklenburg County residents to inform spending decisions next year and hear directly from residents on their needs and priorities. 

County Manager Dena R. Diorio will present her budget recommendation on May 14. A public hearing is scheduled for May 22 with the Board adopting the FY2025-2026 budget on June 3. More information is available at Budget.MeckNC.gov. All meetings can be viewed at Watch.MeckNC.gov.  

2. Law Enforcement in Mecklenburg: The Board received an update on law enforcement in Mecklenburg County’s unincorporated areas. Service for those areas, known as extra-territorial jurisdictions (ETJs), is provided through agreements with the City of Charlotte and the Towns of Cornelius, Huntersville, and Pineville. Leaders from each police department shared data on patrol responses, crime statistics, and a summary of activity in their respective ETJs during the past year. Police services within the six towns of Mecklenburg County are provided by their respective departments.  
 
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department also presented its 2024 End-of-Year report. For CMPD, overall crime was down 3%, with 15,394 arrests (up 5%), and 3,404 illegal guns removed from the street (up 5%). 

3. Planting Pinwheels: April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and residents are invited to participate in a kick-off event and plant a pinwheel at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse. The many partners of the Mecklenburg Child Abuse Prevention Team will kick off the month’s activities, which recognize the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect. The event will feature remarks and testimonials from community leaders. It will take place on Thursday, April 3, 10 a.m. to noon, beginning at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center and continuing to the courthouse to plant pinwheels. Residents are encouraged to wear blue in support of those who work to prevent child abuse. Learn more at Meck4Kids.org.  

4. Help with Heat: Monday, March 31 is the last day for Mecklenburg County residents to apply for help paying their winter energy bills through the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP). The program is one of several that help residents with their immediate energy needs so they do not need to choose between heating their homes and other basic needs. An applicant does not need to be behind on energy bills to receive a one-time LIEAP payment in the amount of $300, $400 or $500 based on their primary heating source. Visit MeckNC.gov/energy or call 704-336-3000 to begin the application process.  

5. Stroll on Stewart Creek: Park and Recreation’s newest section of Stewart Creek Greenway is ready for neighbors to enjoy after a grand opening celebration on March 26. The 1.5-mile section stretches from State Street to Lakewood Avenue in west Charlotte. In addition to the trail, the greenway also received stream and water quality enhancements in partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services. The project includes the largest bridge in the County’s greenway system at 181 feet. View a video of the bridge placement near State Street. 

6. Uncovering the Entangled Stories: Mecklenburg County has unveiled the future design of Latta Place. The design concept features a new interpretive trail, a new visitor center and updates to the farmstead that will uncover the entangled stories of the people and cultures that shaped Latta Place and its natural environment, including enslaved people, Indigenous people, tenant farmers, artisans, historic landowners and more recent stewards. With the design concept finalized, construction is anticipated to start in late 2025 with reopening in 2026.