Top Stories for Sept. 4, 2025

A vibrant mural at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, showcasing the importance of food security, healthy eating, and the vital connections between farmers and the community.

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 Wednesday, Sept. 3. 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 Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 2:30 p.m.

1. Bringing Business: The Board of County Commissioners approved business investment program grants for three companies that expect to create more than a thousand jobs in Mecklenburg County.

  • $641,506 for Canadian-based AVL Manufacturing. The company will invest more than $56 million to open its first U.S.-based mobile machine manufacturing plant in the Steele Creek neighborhood, creating 326 jobs.
  • $185,341 for Citigroup, Inc. The company will invest $16.1 million to establish a major office facility in Charlotte, creating 510 new jobs.
  • $85,750 for AssetMark Financial Holdings Inc., a leading wealth management platform for financial advisors. The company will invest $10 million to establish an East Coast hub, creating 252 new jobs.

Mecklenburg County’s Office of Economic Development is among the collaborators that worked to bring the projects to realization.  

2. New Era, New Leadership: County Manager Mike Bryant introduced to the Board two new members of his executive team. Michelle L. Attreed serves as deputy county manager for financial services. She previously worked with Prince William County, Virginia, for 30 years. Dr. Kimm Campbell serves as deputy county manager for the combined Health and Human Services (HHS) agency. She joined from Broward County, Florida, and previously served with Mecklenburg County as director of the Children’s Mental Health System of Care. Attreed and Campbell began work with Mecklenburg County on Aug. 25.

3. Suicide Is Preventable: The Board proclaimed next week as Suicide Prevention Week in Mecklenburg County, recognizing suicide as a global health crisis (view photos). The goal is to understand that suicide is preventable, and prevention begins with conversations about mental health, the impact of suicide, and helping connect people with appropriate services. Mecklenburg County has identified behavioral health as a top priority and has led the development of a behavioral health strategic plan to help guide the use of public funding for behavioral health services in the community. Anyone having thoughts of suicide can call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

4. Feeling the Pinch? The temperature is dropping, but residents may still be feeling the pinch of high cooling bills. Mecklenburg County residents who have trouble paying their energy bills can get help through the Crisis Intervention Program (CIP). This County-administered program helps low-income households with their immediate energy needs, so they do not need to choose between cooling or heating their homes and other basic needs. CIP accepts applications from residents year-round or until funding runs out. An applicant must be in a heating or cooling related emergency, meet income guidelines and other criteria, and have a final notice or past due utility bill. 

5. Stop the Spark: Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte are encouraging residents and businesses to properly dispose of lithium-ion batteries to avoid fires in the waste processing system, including collection trucks, landfills and recycling centers. Mecklenburg County Solid Waste facilities have experienced more than two dozen fires this year due to lithium-ion/rechargeable batteries being improperly disposed. Lithium-ion batteries can be found in items like vapes, laptops, cell phones, watches, wireless headphones, handheld power tools, and children’s toys. Typically, these batteries are labeled as lithium-ion (Li-Ion) or nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cad). Residents should drop off their batteries at a facility equipped to safely process them. They should never be placed in a curbside cart. 

6. Finding Art in Fresh Food: A vibrant new mural has been unveiled at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, showcasing the importance of food security, healthy eating, and the vital connections between farmers and the community. The mural, created in partnership with Mecklenburg County Public Health and painted by Abel Jackson, transforms one of the market’s central spaces into a colorful celebration of fresh food, local farms, and the shared commitment to building a healthier Mecklenburg County.