Latest news with #CharlotteCityCouncil
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Charlotte City Council votes no to $25/hour minimum wage for city employees
CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The Charlotte City Council will use one-time funding to help various organizations in the city, but when it comes to giving city workers an additional pay bump, that vote was a no. In November 2025, the minimum wage for city workers will increase from $23 an hour to $24 an hour. Some on the council wanted to raise the hourly wage to $25 an hour, but it was voted down 6 to 5 on Monday night. The main reason is that raising the pay to $25 an hour would mean a structurally unbalanced budget for the city. Also, the additional funding would only be a one-time payment from the American Rescue Plan Act, also known as ARPA money, that the city of Charlotte has in reserve. So, city manager Marcus Jones would have to find a way to maintain the pay raises in the 2027 city budget. Charlotte leaders consider regulation changes for street vendors Other organizations did receive money for their operations from the ARPA funding. Those nonprofits provide services in the city, addressing issues like climate change and tutoring students. Some on the council worry that if they keep spending the reserve funds, there may not be money in case of an emergency. 'The very fact that we can literally keep some of this funding for future opportunities or something that we need next year, where we want something discretionary done,' said District 5 councilwoman Marjorie Molina. 'Next year, I feel like if we are empty, we are going to regret it.' With all the changes, an additional $1.2 million will be added to the budget. Charlotte City Council will vote to approve the full budget next week. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Incredibly frustrating': Group to speak at city council over stolen French bulldog
Amanda O'Hara is leading a group of people to Tuesday night's Charlotte City Council meeting with one goal in mind: get answers. 'The fact Julio is still missing nearly two months later is incredibly frustrating,' O'Hara told Channel 9's Eli Brand. She's demanding action to find Julio, a French bulldog. Channel 9 reported when Julio was stolen from his owner, Jayla Gittens, while she was moving from her north Charlotte apartment complex. Her car was also stolen. That happened in early April. Since then, a juvenile and his mother have been charged in connection with the theft. Gittens' car was eventually recovered, but Julio hasn't been seen since. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Woman says man stole her French Bulldog while she was moving Cash reward offered for help finding missing French bulldog Charlotte mother accused in theft of French Bulldog 'We want answers and since city council isn't answering us, we're taking it to their footsteps,' O'Hara said. O'Hara says she and multiple others have been emailing councilmembers and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department looking for help. They've even taken their own steps. 'We have taken action ... we have been driving around; sometimes I spend two hours driving around different neighborhoods looking if I can see anything that would give me an indication of where Julio is,' O'Hara said. Last week, police arrested the teen's mother, accused of sending pictures to the dog's owner and demanding ransom in return. The group's goal Tuesday night will be to get answers before more crimes can be committed. 'It's a dog now, it could be your kid later. So we really want to make sure these crimes are not going unchecked,' O'Hara said. (VIDEO: Robber holds Charlotte woman at gunpoint in home, steals French bulldog)
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Charlotte City Council to swear in new District 6 representative Tuesday
Tuesday is the day that Charlotte City Council will officially swear in Edwin Peacock III as the new representative for District 6. We told you last week when Mayor Vi Lyles broke a 5-5 tie to appoint Peacock as the newest councilmember. Peacock is replacing former councilman Tariq Bokhari, who resigned to join the Federal Transit Administration. RELATED >> Edwin Peacock III to fill vacant Charlotte City Council seat The council had to choose a Republican who lives in District 6 to replace Bokhari. Peacock was chosen after councilmembers tied their votes between him and Bokhari's wife, Krista Bokhari. Peacock has served on the council before. He was an at-large councilman from 2007 to 2011. He was also the Republican nominee for mayor in 2013 and in 2015. The new councilman told city leaders he doesn't want to run for a full term in this fall's election. (VIDEO: City council member clarifies allegations of corruption, says comments were misconstrued)
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Charlotte City Council member to be sworn into office Tuesday after Bokhari resignation
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The newest member of Charlotte City Council is slated to take his oath of office Tuesday. Council members selected Edwin Peacock III to fill the District 6 seat left open by last month's resignation of Tariq Bokhari. Peacock, a Republican, previously served two terms on the council and twice ran for mayor. He will take his oath at the council's 5 p.m. business meeting. It also will be the first meeting since two major legal matters have come about with council members. Police Chief Johnny Jennings' settlement details were revealed Sunday night when he announced his retirement, and Councilwoman Tiawana Brown pled not guilty Friday to COVID fund fraud charges. Peacock's abbreviated term will end in December, and he says he will not run for reelection in the fall. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Who is Tiawana Brown? Charlotte councilwoman indicted on federal charges
Who is Tiawana Brown? Charlotte councilwoman indicted on federal charges Show Caption Hide Caption COVID fraud cases continue to grow In the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic relief arrived in the form of government programs, but some people took advantage. Fox - 13 News A North Carolina grand jury has indicted a Charlotte City Council member on federal charges after prosecutors allege she used COVID relief funds to throw a $15,000 birthday party. Tiawana Brown, 53, was indicted alongside her daughters Tijema Brown, 30, and Antionette Rouse, 33, on charges of wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud in connection with fraudulent applications filed to falsely obtain COVID pandemic relief funds, Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina announced in a May 22 news release. In a statement shared by Kristie Puckett, a lobbyist for NC Second Chance Alliance, on behalf of Brown characterized the indictment as a 'deliberate effort to interfere with her re-election and silence her voice." 'I am not here to be tried in the media,' Brown is quoted as saying in the statement. 'However, I must address the allegations against me by the United States District Court. I will have my day in court, and I trust the process.' Brown, who serves District 3 for the city, could not immediately be reached by USA TODAY. As of May 23, it was not immediately known whether Brown planned to resign from her city post. USA TODAY also contacted the city of Charlotte, its mayor and Brown's attorney. San Diego plane crash update: Who died? Who was injured? Everything we know so far Indictment: Tiawana Brown falsely obtained over $124,000 According to an indictment, from April 2020 through September 2021, the defendants conspired to execute a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration's Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and its Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), as well as obtain COVID relief funds for their alleged businesses by submitting loan applications with false information or false documentation. The fake documentation included "fraudulent tax forms, among other misrepresentation," the indictment alleges, and goes onto say the defendants submitted false statements to obtain forgiveness of the PPP loan. In all, the three defendants reportedly submitted at least 15 applications for EIDL or PPP funds and "falsely obtained at least $124,165 in connection with their scheme to defraud," according to the release. The indictment also alleges that the EIDL and PPP funds were deposited into bank accounts controlled by the defendants. Instead of using the pandemic relief funds to pay for qualifying expenses as purported in the loan applications, the defendants allegedly used the proceeds on personal expenses, including approximately $15,000 on a personal birthday party for Tiawana Brown. Who is Tiawana Brown? Brown won the general election to become a Charlotte councilmember in November 2023. Her current term ends in December. According to the city's website, Brown grew up in Charlotte, graduated from Myers Park High School and lives in the city with her daughter, Tijema Brown. Her other daughter, Rouse, lives in Atlanta. Brown attended Johnson C. Smith University and was a previous board member of the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, in addition to being a featured speaker on Capitol Hill in 2017. What did Tiawana Brown previously go to prison for? According to her Facebook bio, Brown is the first "formerly incarcerated person elected to Charlotte City Council" and "a fierce defender of truth." Court records obtained by USA TODAY show Brown was indicted in July 1993 on fraud-related charges in the Western District of North Carolina. According to the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, she served four years in prison in connection with the crime. Online federal court records show Brown and her daughters were given $25,000 bonds on May 23. If convicted, Brown and her daughters face up to 20 years in prison for each offense, prosecutors said. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund.
