Top Stories for May 15, 2024
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, May 14. The agenda is available online and the meeting can be viewed on MeckTV. The Board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 21 at 6 p.m.
1. Building a Budget: In developing the FY2025 Mecklenburg County budget, the Board of County Commissioners heard funding requests from Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) and Mecklenburg County Courts. CPCC is requesting $47.3 million, a 4.59% increase over last year. The Courts are requesting $11 million, a 42% increase over last year.
The County Manager will present her budget recommendation on Thursday, May 16 at 11 a.m. A public hearing is scheduled for May 23 with the Board adopting the budget on June 4. More information about the FY2025 budget process is available at Budget.MeckNC.gov.
2. Pulling Through the Pandemic: The Board heard the Year One evaluation of the COVID-19 Strategic Recovery Plan, including the performance of programs that received funding through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The plan focuses on five priority areas: behavioral health and health equity; affordable housing and homelessness; workforce and economic development; parks, environment, and infrastructure; and childcare and early childhood education. Results of the evaluation indicate that the ARPA-funded programs were generally successful and Task Force actions are complete or in progress.
3. Saturdays on Stitt: Mecklenburg County residents are invited to meet their newest neighbors in north Charlotte—staff and community partners at the Ella B. Scarborough Community Resource Center, 430 Stitt Road in Charlotte. “Saturdays on Stitt” begin May 18, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. In addition to food and fellowship, the day will feature information on County services in one place: Medicaid, Food and Nutrition Services; Child Support Services; Women Infants and Children (WIC) services; Veterans Services; job searches; free mental health counseling; and much more. Saturdays on Stitt will be held monthly through the fall.
4. Whooping Cough: Public Health is warning of an increase in pertussis cases, or whooping cough. Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory illness that can cause severe coughing fits, especially in infants and young children. So far in 2024, nine confirmed cases and one suspected case of pertussis were reported to Mecklenburg County Public Health, all under the age of 17. Public Health recommends vaccination for pertussis, staying home when sick, and practicing good hygiene.
5. Do the Write Thing: Two students have been named National Ambassadors of Mecklenburg County’s annual “Do the Write Thing” writing contest. Justice Fields of Whitewater Middle School and Qui’arie Randall of Northeast Middle School were named co-ambassadors during the local recognition ceremony on May 6 at the Charlotte Police and Fire Training Academy. The pair may now represent their peers during the National Campaign to Stop Violence Recognition Week in Washington, D.C. this summer. Do the Write Thing is a writing program for middle school students that engages students to think about how youth violence has affected their lives and to consider what they can do about it.