Top Stories for May 14, 2025

A purple banner with designs on the left and right and an outline of Mecklenburg County with a star.

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 May 13 and 14. The agendas are available online and the meetings can be viewed on MeckTV. The Board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for May 20 at 6 p.m.

1. Building a Budget: County Manager Dena R. Diorio released her $2.5 billion recommended budget for FY2026. It features a 1.6% increase over this year’s operating budget, with the primary theme of protection and service in a time of uncertainty. The recommendation fully funds the Board of Education’s requested increase of $28 million, which would primarily supplement teacher salaries. To fund the critical services during a time of slowing sales tax growth, and to invest for the future, the County manager recommends a 0.96-cent increase in the tax rate. The next step is a public hearing on May 22. Learn more at Budget.MeckNC.gov.  

2. Eastside Summit: Charlotte-Mecklenburg residents are invited to learn more about activities, current resources, and future investments on the east side of town in this year’s Intergovernmental Eastside Summit and Mobile Resource Fair. The theme is EAST: Education, Affordable Housing, Supporting Services, and Transit. The summit will offer residents an opportunity to learn about available resources, engage with County, City, and CMS leaders, and receive updates on development and transit. Among Mecklenburg County’s projects on the east side is the new 4.5-acre Eastland Park on the site of the former Eastland Mall, with construction expected to begin this summer. The summit and resource fair will be held Saturday, May 17, beginning at 9 a.m. at the BOplex-Bojangles Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium on Independence Boulevard in Charlotte. 

3. Crowns of Enterprise: Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte named seven local businesses as winners of the 2025 Crowns of Enterprise Awards. The awards honor small businesses that demonstrate leadership, practice sound business strategies, strengthen the local economy and support diversity and inclusion. The businesses recognized are Velez Strategies, Lane Architecture, Carolina Transportation Engineers & Associates, Genesis Construction, Charlotte Ledger, Prospera North Carolina, and Savvi Consulting. 

4. Investing in Jobs: The Board approved a three-year Business Investment Program grant of up to $353,523 to HSP US (Trench Group), headquartered in Berlin. The company chose Mecklenburg County for its first U.S.-based manufacturing plant, bringing 74 new jobs. It is expected to invest more than $50 million over the next five years and plans to begin operations in early 2026. The new facility will manufacture bushings, a key component in high-voltage power transformers. 

5. Mental Health Awareness Month: With behavioral health as a key priority during the next year, the Board has proclaimed May as Mental Health Awareness Month. Mecklenburg County completed its Behavioral Health Strategic Plan in 2024 and is preparing the implement the plan. Behavioral health prevention, services and support require collaboration from Mecklenburg County, Alliance Health, and many community-based organizations. The proclamation serves to demonstrate Mecklenburg County’s commitment to partnership with and support of residents with mental health needs and the managed care and provider community. 

6. Look Before You Leap: Charlotte area lakes will soon be busy with boaters and swimmers, as well as their pets. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services encourages everyone to be mindful of water conditions. Swim advisories may be issued when a body of water is considered a public health threat. This could be due to a sewage spill, chemical spill, or harmful algal blooms. Residents can sign up for Char-Meck Alerts by texting MECKNOSWIM to 888-777 and get swim advisories over the phone. 

7. Keeping the Heat On: Mecklenburg County helped more than 11,000 residents receive funds through the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) this year. LIEAP is a federal program that assists households with their home heating needs during the winter months, so they do not have to choose between heating their homes and other basic needs. More than $4.2 million in assistance was awarded from Dec. 1 to March 31. One-time LIEAP payments in the amount of $300, $400, or $500 were made directly to the applicant’s utility company. More than 17,000 people applied for this season’s program, a 21% increase from last season.