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Tag: mecklenburg

  • Mecklenburg will try to fill food benefit gaps with SNAP funding uncertain

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    Food boxes for people in need during the pause in SNAP benefits due to the federal government shutdown contain protein, nonperishables and other items at the food pantry inside the Ella B. Scarborough Community Resource Center.

    Food boxes for people in need during the pause in SNAP benefits due to the federal government shutdown contain protein, nonperishables and other items at the food pantry inside the Ella B. Scarborough Community Resource Center.


    Mary Ramsey

    The Charlotte Observer

    Mecklenburg County will put hundreds of thousands of dollars into emergency food assistance with regular federal aid in limbo.

    But county leaders warn pain is still likely on the way for families in need.

    The county plans to spend $740,000 on food aid with November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits at risk due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, Mecklenburg County Manager Mike Bryant said at a news conference Monday.

    The money, already earmarked for the county Public Health Department’s efforts to address food insecurity, will pay for thousands of meal boxes and other assistance, Bryant said.

    The federal government previously told states it wouldn’t pay out SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps, in November due to the shutdown. Multiple states, including North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, sued the Trump administration to unlock emergency funding for SNAP. The Trump administration said Monday it will partially fund SNAP after two judges issued rulings in states’ favor, the Associated Press reported.

    But Bryant said about 138,500 Mecklenburg residents across 63,000 households who rely on SNAP need help as the federal government remains shut down. He warned that Mecklenburg is legally and financially unable to make up all the paused SNAP funding.

    “We remain in dire need for the current shutdown to draw to a close in a way that will make our community once again whole,” he said.

    Here’s what to know about where to get and give help amid the SNAP pause:

    Where to get food assistance during SNAP pause

    Mecklenburg County Manager Mike Bryant joins other county leaders outside the Ella B. Scarborough Community Resource Center on Monday for a briefing on how the county is dealing with a pause in SNAP funding due to the federal government shutdown.
    Mecklenburg County Manager Mike Bryant joins other county leaders outside the Ella B. Scarborough Community Resource Center on Monday for a briefing on how the county is dealing with a pause in SNAP funding due to the federal government shutdown. Mary Ramsey The Charlotte Observer

    The county is funding 28,000 food boxes that will be distributed by Nourish Up and securing additional food to be distributed through the food pantries at the county’s community resource centers.

    The county is still processing SNAP applications and giving $50 food-only gift cards to any resident newly approved for emergency SNAP benefits. It’s also providing one-time $50 farmers market vouchers to eligible SNAP households and temporarily expanding its mobile food distribution program for SNAP-eligible seniors.

    The county will also distribute free turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving on Nov. 22 at the Ella B. Scarborough Community Resource Center.

    Some of the expanded resources are first-come, first-served, Bryant said. The county can afford to fund others for about 30 days.

    Residents in need of more information or assistance from the county can call the Food and Nutrition Services department at 704-336-3000 or visit one of the county’s community resources centers:

    • West Charlotte’s Valerie C. Woodard Community Resource Center, 3205 Freedom Drive
    • East Charlotte’s Ella B. Scarborough Community Resource Center, 430 Stitt Road
    • South Charlotte’s Catherine M. Wilson Center, 301 Billingsley Road

    The county recommends residents in need also reach out to community partners including:

    • United Way’s NC 211 line
    • Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina
    • Nourish Up
    • Hearts & Hands Food Pantry
    • Hope Street Food Pantry
    • Feeding Charlotte
    • Ada Jenkins Center
    • Angels & Sparrows
    • Christ the King Food Pantry

    Where to donate food, money during SNAP pause

    The county is also setting up donation boxes at the Eastway Regional Recreation Center, Northern Regional Recreation Center and some Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library locations to support local food pantries.

    In-demand items include shelf-stable, low sodium and high protein foods, county staff said.

    The public can also donate money to Nourish Up at nourishup.org/meck-cares.

    Other organizations accepting food or monetary donations and in need of volunteers amid the SNAP pause include:

    • Care Ring Food Pantry
    • Hearts and Hands Food Pantry
    • Hope Street Food Pantry
    • Jamil Niner Student Pantry – UNC Charlotte
    • Reeder Memorial Baptist Church Food Pantry
    • Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina

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    Mary Ramsey

    The Charlotte Observer

    Mary Ramsey is the local government accountability reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she studied journalism at the University of South Carolina and has also worked in Phoenix, Arizona and Louisville, Kentucky.
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  • Election Day is Tuesday. What Mecklenburg voters should know before polls close

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    Election Day is Tuesday. In Mecklenburg County, there will be municipal and school board elections as well as a transportation referendum. In this file photo, sample ballots sit on a table for voters at Sharon Presbyterian Church in south Charlotte.

    Election Day is Tuesday. In Mecklenburg County, there will be municipal and school board elections as well as a transportation referendum. In this file photo, sample ballots sit on a table for voters at Sharon Presbyterian Church in south Charlotte.


    Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez

    mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com

    Mecklenburg County voters on Tuesday will decide a series of local elections and the fate of a potentially transformational transportation tax referendum.

    Election Day is Tuesday, with polls open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at locations across the county.

    Voters will have a mix of municipal and school board races as well as a transportation tax referendum on ballots. What appears on a voter’s ballot depends on where he or she lives.

    By the end of early voting on Saturday, 63,427 people cast ballots. That appears to be an early voting record for a municipal or odd-year election, according to Mecklenburg County data. An additional 1,224 mail-in ballots have been approved.

    In 2023, the most recent municipal election, a total of 39,432 people cast ballots during early voting, with an additional 1,226 approved mail-in ballots. Mecklenburg County data show that was higher than prior odd-year elections. But it was eclipsed by the even-year elections before and after. With presidential, U.S. Senate, congressional, gubernatorial and statewide races, even year elections produce much higher voter turnout than ones only featuring local contests.

    The top performing early voting site was the South Park Library, which saw 1,500 more ballots cast than any other voting site. The second- and third-busiest sites were the South County Library and Matthews Library, respectively.

    Friday was the busiest day of early voting, with 10,747 ballots cast. Saturday was another day with more than 10,000 ballots cast.

    It’s unclear whether early voting numbers will produce a municipal election turnout record. To beat 2023’s turnout, about the same number of voters would need to cast ballots on Election Day as during early voting.

    Here are other things to know before Election Day:

    What’s on the ballot

    While races on ballots will vary widely, some of the key elections include:

    • A referendum that asks people to vote “for” or “against” the following: One percent (1%) local sales and use taxes, in addition to the current local sales and use taxes, to be used only for roadway systems and public transportation systems. The tax increase will bring Mecklenburg County’s sales tax to 8.25%. Of the more than $19 billion it’s expected to generate in the next 30 years, 40% will go to trains, 20% will go to buses and 40% will be split between Charlotte and local towns to use on road improvements.
    • Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles faces a challenge from Republican Terrie Donovan and Libertarian Rob Yates. She’s favored to win, and would claim sole possession of the second-longest serving mayor in Charlotte’s history if so. Republican Pat McCrory is Charlotte’s longest serving mayor.
    • In the Charlotte City Council’s District 6, Republican Krista Bokhari faces Democrat Kimberly Owens. Bokhari is married to Tariq Bokhari, who was the District 6 representative until resigning earlier this year for a short-lived job in the Trump administration. The district is shaped like a triangle in south Charlotte and includes neighborhoods such as Eastover, Myers Park, South Park, Providence and Carmel.
    • Two incumbents — west Charlotte’s Thelma Byers-Bailey and Summer Nunn, whose district snakes along the county’s southern border — chose not to run for reelection to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education. That guarantees at least two new members of the board. Dee Rankin in District 3, which covers University City and parts of north and east Charlotte, is the only incumbent without competition.
    • Voters in Huntersville will see two familiar faces back on the ballot for mayor — incumbent Christy Clark and Derek Partee. They were two of the three candidates who battled in the 2023 mayor’s race. The mayor and town board races are officially nonpartisan, but a group of Republicans also have united to try and oust Democrat commissioners in their “No More Than 4” slate.
    • Cornelius also gets a mayoral rematch with incumbent Woody Washam facing Denis Bilodeau again as well as a third challenger, Kenny Campbell. In 2023, Washam won by just five votes.
    • Matthews voters will see a major shake-up on their town board this year. All six commissioner seats are on the ballot, and at least three will be filled by newcomers.

    For The Charlotte Observer’s full guide to elections on the ballot, go to charlotteobserver.com/voter-guide.

    How do I know what’s on my ballot?

    To be eligible to vote in any North Carolina municipal election, a voter must live within the city or town limits for at least 30 days before Election Day. With the voter search tool on the State Board of Elections website, people can see what’s on their ballot and which districts they live in under the “YOUR JURISDICTIONS” tab.

    But all voters who live in Mecklenburg County will have a school board district election and transportation tax referendum on their ballots. When there’s only one person on the ballot, voters are still able to write in a candidate.

    Voters can find their sample ballot, designated district, current elected officials and voting location by filling out their address on the county Board of Elections website at apps.meckboe.org/addressSearch_New.aspx.

    What if I’m not registered to vote?

    People who are not registered to vote are not eligible to cast a ballot on Election Day.

    North Carolina allows same-day registration only during early voting, and Saturday was the last day of early voting.

    Voter ID

    Voters must bring photo ID to the polls, but “all voters will be allowed to vote with or without photo ID,” according to the NCSBE Voter ID website. Voters who don’t show an ID will need to fill out an exception form. Details regarding acceptable forms of ID including student and government employee IDs can be found on ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id#acceptable.

    Results and information

    For results on election night and complete coverage, visit charlotteobserver.com.

    For questions about voting on Tuesday, contact the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections at 704-336-2133 or Vote@MeckNC.gov. The Board of Elections is located at 741 Kenilworth Ave., Suite 202.

    This story was originally published November 2, 2025 at 5:00 AM.

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    Josh Bergeron

    The Charlotte Observer

    Josh Bergeron is the government editor at The Charlotte Observer. Previously, he was the editor of the Salisbury Post in Salisbury, N.C. and worked as an editor and reporter at newspapers in North Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama and Mississippi. He’s a proud LSU alumnus — Geaux Tigers.

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  • If Mecklenburg says ‘yes’ to sales tax question on ballots, when will work begin?

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    Railroad tracks at Camp North End in Charlotte. This site is a potential location for a new station on the Charlotte Area Transit System’s proposed Red Line rail project.

    Railroad tracks at Camp North End in Charlotte. This site is a potential location for a new station on the Charlotte Area Transit System’s proposed Red Line rail project.


    Chase Jordan

    cjordan@charlotteobserver.com

    Work on some projects that would be funded by the referendum on Mecklenburg County’s November ballot could begin as soon as late 2026 or early 2027.

    The referendum on the 2025 ballot asks voters to approve or reject a 1% sales tax rate increase to fund road, rail and bus projects across the county. Road projects likely will be among the first to get started. Rail projects could take the longest.

    If the referendum passes, local leaders anticipate the tax increase will generate more than $19 billion in revenue over the next 30 years. Of that money, 40% will go to rail projects and 20% to the region’s bus system. The other 40% would be divided between Charlotte and Mecklenburg’s six towns for road projects.

    Election Day is Nov. 4, and early voting is already underway.

    Some projects have priority, and some could come together faster because of their size and scope, local leaders say. Here’s what voters should expect when it comes to work starting:

    When would work start on Red Line, other rail projects?

    There’s no exact date yet for when crews would break ground on rail projects if the referendum passes. Existing plans include a general timeline and plans for prioritization.

    The Metropolitan Transit Commission’s plan for rail projects if the sales tax increase pass includes:

    • The Red Line, a commuter rail line from uptown to Lake Norman-area towns
    • The Silver Line, a light rail line from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to Bojangles Coliseum. The line was originally slated to run from Belmont to Matthews but was shortened due to budgetary constraints over the objection of some east Mecklenburg leaders
    • An extension of the Blue Line light rail to Carolina Place in Pineville
    • An extension of the Gold Line streetcar from the Rosa Parks Community Transit Center to Eastland Yards

    The Silver Line could eventually be extended further east, as could the Blue Line to Ballantyne, according to the plan.

    The state law authorizing the referendum says the transit authority must complete at least 50% of the Red Line before completing any of the other rail projects on the docket. The commuter rail project has been in the works for decades but was hindered by a lack of access to railroad tracks and funding.

    The Charlotte Area Transit System told The Charlotte Observer the rail projects are currently in the design stage and “will move as quickly as possible, with advancement within the next decade” if the tax increase passes.

    What about buses, microtransit?

    CATS’ overhaul of its bus system “would begin as soon as possible” if the tax increase passes, with a goal of completing the work within five years, the agency said. The plan, dubbed “Better Bus,” includes $3.8 billion in projects.

    CATS plans to increase frequencies on its 15 busiest bus routes to 15 minutes or less.

    Additional work would include:

    • Bus stop improvements, including 2,000 additional shelters, benches and waiting pads
    • Priority traffic signals for buses on the busiest routes
    • Bus fleet improvements, including 89 new buses
    • Increased express bus service frequency

    The bus money would also fund an expansion of CATS’ microtransit program — a rideshare-like service currently operating in select parts of north Charlotte and Lake Norman-area towns — to 19 other parts of the county.

    Charlotte, towns make plans for road projects

    Road projects funded by the potential sales tax increase could begin in the next year or two.

    Charlotte could begin work on road projects funded by new tax revenue as soon as money starts coming in, “which is anticipated to be in late 2026 or early 2027,” city spokesman Jack VanderToll said.

    Davidson commissioners would decide the specific start dates for projects funded by the sales tax increase if it takes effect based on existing plans, resident feedback and the town’s prioritization process, town clerk Betsy Shores said.

    Specific projects may include a walking path on the east side of Davidson-Concord Road and improvements to multiple intersections. Revenue from the tax increase could also go toward improving pedestrian and bicycle safety, sidewalk maintenance and road resurfacing, she added.

    Matthews expects revenue from the sales tax would be available to spend starting in fiscal year 2028, which begins July 2027, town spokeswoman Maureen Ryan said.

    “In the meantime, we’ll continue planning and prioritizing transportation projects to be ready when the time comes,” she told the Observer.

    Pineville plans to focus on smaller projects “from the onset” with the goal of starting “a more sizable road project” within 18 months to two years of receiving significant revenue, according to assistant town manager Chris Tucker.

    Cornelius leaders plan to prioritize projects and set timelines for those projects if the referendum passes, town spokeswoman Emma Mondo said. Those projects may include “major road projects,” work on intersections and pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and maintenance.

    Huntersville spokesman Ethan Smith said the town doesn’t have details yet on when work would begin on projects funded by the potential tax increase.

    Representatives for Mint Hill did not respond to questions from an Observer reporter about the town’s plans for its portion of the roads funding.

    Related Stories from Charlotte Observer

    Mary Ramsey

    The Charlotte Observer

    Mary Ramsey is the local government accountability reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she studied journalism at the University of South Carolina and has also worked in Phoenix, Arizona and Louisville, Kentucky.
    Support my work with a digital subscription

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  • Developers withdraw rezoning request for ‘massive’ Matthews data center

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    Engineered Land Solutions CEO Drew Nations addresses a citizens question during a community meeting at the Matthews Town Hall on Thursday, October 2, 2025. A rezoning petition for a proposed data center is receiving opposition in Matthews.

    Engineered Land Solutions CEO Drew Nations addresses a citizens question during a community meeting at the Matthews Town Hall on Thursday, October 2, 2025. A rezoning petition for a proposed data center is receiving opposition in Matthews.


    JEFF SINER

    jsiner@charlotteobserver.com

    The developers behind a proposed data center in Matthews have withdrawn their rezoning request with the city, halting plans that had drawn weeks of public backlash.

    The data center, dubbed Project Accelerate, called for five two-story buildings across 123 acres along East John Street near Interstate 485. Developers with Engineered Land Solutions said the site could house a large data campus requiring up to 600 megawatts of electricity — a level some residents described as “massive.”

    The development team initially sought to rezone the property from residential to industrial use to allow construction of the data center.

    “The development team for Project Accelerate has requested withdrawal of its rezoning petition,” a spokesperson for Crosland Southeast, one of the development companies involved, said in a statement Tuesday evening. “This will allow additional time to explore options.”

    The proposal had faced strong resistance from nearby residents, who packed recent town meetings to raise concerns about noise, power, water use and the town’s character. Some said the industrial-scale project didn’t belong near neighborhoods like Brightmoor, which borders the site.

    “What I want for Matthews is responsible development,” resident Emily Moore told commissioners at a September meeting, after launching a petition that gathered more than 2,700 signatures. “Way more than a data center, I would love to see a neighborhood. I would love to see community space… I think it’s a bigger conversation than even just this property off East John.”

    Others argued the plan risked raising electricity bills and permanent changes to the town’s identity.

    Mayor John Higdon confirmed the withdrawal Tuesday evening, thanking residents for their involvement.

    “For many of you who have been following the proposed rezoning for a data center on John Street, the developer has withdrawn its application,” Higdon wrote on Facebook. “Thank you for your diligence and engagement through this process; your investment in our community is one of the many reasons Matthews is an incredible place to call home.”

    It’s not clear whether the developers plan to resubmit the project or propose a different use for the site. The rezoning request had been scheduled for additional meetings and a public hearing later this month.

    This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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    Nora O’Neill

    The Charlotte Observer

    Nora O’Neill is the regional accountability reporter for The Charlotte Observer. She previously covered local government and politics in Florida.

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  • He died during a card game. His widow then challenged his alleged killer’s low bond.

    He died during a card game. His widow then challenged his alleged killer’s low bond.

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    A judge raised Ronald Joseph’s bond after a Mecklenburg County jury indicted him for the first degree murder of a Charlotte man during an auto-shop card game on Feb. 4, 2024.

    A judge raised Ronald Joseph’s bond after a Mecklenburg County jury indicted him for the first degree murder of a Charlotte man during an auto-shop card game on Feb. 4, 2024.

    Getty Images/istockphoto

    He’d been to her house. He sat at her dinner table. And during a Sunday night card game, he killed her husband, police say.

    Ronald Joseph, 45, of Huntersville, stood with bloodied clothing and hands when police lights illuminated a northwest Charlotte auto shop off Brookshire Boulevard on Feb. 4. A witness grasped him close, waiting for officers to handcuff him, police reports say.

    Rudolph Acolaste was dead in the corner. A game of Spades sat unfinished.

    Joseph had robbed Melissa Bethea and her two kids, 13 and 19, of a husband and father, , the now widow said through weeps inside the Mecklenburg County Courthouse Friday, her eyes bloodshot from tears.

    She and a district attorney also challenged Joseph’s low, $100,000 bond.

    “This man doesn’t need no bond, sir,” Bethea said in front of Superior Court Judge Robert Bell Friday.

    His bond needed to be retracted or raised to something “remotely close to reasonable,” Bill Bunting, the Homicide Unit Chief at Mecklenburg County’s District Attorney’s Office, said in court Friday.

    A jury Monday said the case presented enough evidence to indict Joseph on first-degree murder.

    Joseph was originally booked in jail without bond, but District Court Judge Fritz Mercer, Jr. set a $100,000 bond on Feb. 5.

    An unprovoked argument and a gun

    Witnesses say Joseph shot Acolaste, but they don’t know why.

    Joseph came into the room, unprovoked, started an argument, unprovoked, and brandished a silver Taurus revolver. Then, Acolaste collapsed, two bullets in his chest and shoulder, Bunting said.

    “There was no reason for the argument… (he) was not even part of the game,” a witness told officers, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department records.

    Judge increases bond

    Joseph’s attorney, Anthony Monaghan, defended the $100,000 bond, saying Mercer, the district court judge, had heard all relevant information before setting it.

    Joseph lived at the auto shop, which had been partially converted with two bedrooms and a kitchen, where the argument with Acolaste started, Monaghan said. It was an interpersonal conflict, he said. He would not be a risk to the public.

    Bell, the superior court judge, raised Joseph’s bond to $250,000 before he was sent back to Mecklenburg County Detention Center. His next court date has not yet been set.

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    Julia Coin covers local and statewide topics — including destructive fires, illegal gambling and the pervasiveness of drugs in schools — as The Charlotte Observer’s breaking news and courts reporter. Michigan-born and Florida-raised, she studied journalism at the University of Florida, where she covered statewide legislation, sexual assault on campus and Hurricane Ian’s destruction.
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