Top Stories for Oct. 4, 2023

A group of volunteers hold of wood framework s a new house os constructed.

Mecklenburg County provides this weekly rundown of top stories from the Board of County Commissioners meetings and from the Public Information Department’s newsroom. The Board met on Tuesday, Oct. 3. The agenda is available here or view the meeting at Watch.MeckNC.gov. The Board’s next budget and public policy meeting is scheduled for Oct. 10 at 2:30 p.m.

1. Inside the Statehouse, On the Hill: Following adoption of the State budget by the N.C. General Assembly, the Board received an update on legislation that affects Mecklenburg County and its legislative priorities. The update focused on the impact to areas related to:

  • Education: Teacher and bus driver salaries, school vouchers, homeless and foster student transportation, pre-K and childcare staffing, and more.
  • Health and Human Services: Medicaid expansion, behavioral health, care for foster children, maternal and child health grants, and more.
  • Community: Broadband expansion, alternatives to pre-trial detention, additional courts staff, and more.
  • Environment: Funding for water and wastewater infrastructure, removal of emissions requirements, restriction or prohibition of other environmental initiatives, and more.

2. 2027 Revaluation: The Board of County Commissioners approved Jan. 1, 2027, as the date of the next countywide revaluation of all properties and designated a four-year revaluation cycle moving forward. Revaluation is the process where Mecklenburg County revalues all property (land and buildings) to its current market value as of an established date. North Carolina law requires a property reappraisal at least every eight years, but counties can set a shorter time period between reappraisals. A shorter cycle allows the County to capture market value more accurately and avoid large swings in value.

3. Home Sweet Home: About 100 Mecklenburg County employees, including members of the Board, joined together this week to help build affordable homes for residents. The undertaking is part of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project through Habitat for Humanity, which is constructing a 39-home development called the Meadows at Plato Price. Mecklenburg County designated $500,000 to help fund construction directly. This commitment addresses the Board of County Commissioners housing insecurity priority, which aims to reduce the number of residents experiencing homelessness and advance stable affordable housing options for all Mecklenburg County residents.

4. Corridors Connect: A new series of six events will spread over three Sundays in October. Corridors Connect is a new, more compact iteration of the popular event series Open Streets, providing opportunities for connectivity, health and wellness, and celebration of community by turning a one-mile stretch of neighborhood street into a park for a day. Corridors Connect will consist of six events along routes throughout the Corridors of Opportunity focus areas. All events will have food and fun activities for all ages and will take place from 1-5 p.m. on Oct. 8, Oct. 15, and Oct. 22.

5. Among the Best in Class: Experts in public-sector communications have recognized Mecklenburg County’s work to share with the community information about its many programs, services, initiatives, and stories. The County received a Pinnacle Award from the National Association of Government Web Professionals for best website for large population city/county governments. Plus, the County brought home five awards from the City-County Communications & Marketing Association (3CMA), recognizing government communications programs that have effectively engaged constituents and elevated the profession.