The former council member was 80.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Lynn Wheeler, a former Charlotte councilmember who was instrumental in shaping the Queen City in the 1990s, died on Sunday. She was 80.
Matthew Ridenhour, another former council member and a close friend of Wheeler, confirmed her death to WCNC Charlotte. He said there was more to her than the public saw.
“I think a lot of folks knew she was a political powerhouse,” Ridenhour said. “Behind the scenes, she was a sweet friend who loved my kids, loved being around people and learning their stories.”
Ridenhour said he’ll remember Wheeler as a “sweet and kind person.”
Wheeler was elected to the Charlotte city council in 1989. She served as mayor pro-tem of Charlotte in 1998 and 1999. She was a council member until 2003.
According to meeting records, Wheeler was the lead member of the Charlotte city council in bringing what is now the Spectrum Center to Uptown. Public opposition went against approving the arena, but Wheeler pushed hard for the measure that allowed the NBA to return to Charlotte with the Charlotte Bobcats, who later regained the Hornets name.
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