Latest news with #DenaDiorio
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mecklenburg County leaders consider public feedback in 2026 budget proposal
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – Mecklenburg County Board of County Commissioners met Tuesday afternoon with government and community leaders to continue forming a budget proposal for the 2026 fiscal year. The county currently operates on a $2.5 billion budget. The figure is a nearly 6% increase from FY2024. Last year, officials considered a 1.5 percent property tax increase. County Manager Dena Diorio identified $25.5 million in realignments of the General Fund, so the increase was lessened to 1 cent. READ MORE: County commissioners said Tuesday they are looking to avoid tax hikes for the upcoming year. However, the public feedback elected leaders have received so far indicates a larger budget may be necessary to cover desired projects, services and facilities. Staff members within the Office of Management and Budget, a division of the County Manager's Office, presented commissioners on March 25 with the results of thousands of responses from an online survey. The overall top four priorities of survey respondents are affordable housing, developing parks and greenways, services for senior adults, and mental and behavioral health services. OMB staff members also hosted in-person engagement sessions for high school and college students for a youthful perspective on the region's finances. Meeting with students from West Mecklenburg, Harding, and Hopewell High Schools as well as Central Piedmont Community College, University of North Carolina Charlotte and Queens University. Leaders of the county Park and Recreation Commission presented their budget recommendations Tuesday. Staff members request $10 million for repairs and replacements which they say cannot wait until another Capital Improvement Project update, $50 million for land acquisition, and $1 million for routine maintenance. Members of the PRC also say more money is needed to improve the resident experience at parks, specifically a $400,000 allotment for programming such as youth sports leagues and $450,000 for safety, security and customer service. Commissioners also considered a request of an additional $328,719,819 for the Capital Improvement Plan for 2026-2030 in projects and land acquisitions. CIP planners will continue meeting with commissioners and the Citizen's Capital Budget Advisory Committee, made up of community volunteers, and present an update in late April. Mecklenburg County hosts two public hearings on the budget before the board's budget retreat. Residents spoke in front of commissioners for more than an hour during first hearing on January 22. The second budget hearing is set for May 22. The county manager is scheduled to present her recommended budget proposal May 15. Commissioners aim to adopt the final budget June 3. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
10+ impressive women shaping Charlotte in 2025
Charlotte is full of women who shine in virtually every industry. So, for Women's History Month, we've compiled a list of women helping to shape our city today. Between the lines: This is not a comprehensive list of all the women shaping Charlotte. You can also check out our 2022, 2023 and 2024 lists. Carolina Ascent Charlotte's first top-tier professional women's soccer team is setting the standard for what professional women's sports can look like in Charlotte going forward. Caitlyn Sheff Caitlyn Sheff is making fitness more financially accessible for Charlotteans. Her Wesley Heights yoga studio, The Coterie, is well-known for its sliding scale membership and drop-in class pricing, so much so that the space recently added a second studio room due to its ever-growing waitlist. People love what Sheff's built — just take a look at the flood of support in the comments section on our recent post about the studio's expansion. Dena Diorio Retiring county manager Dena Diorio has led Mecklenburg County through nearly 11 years of explosive growth, navigating through a pandemic and working alongside county commissioners to improve Charlotte's economic mobility. Erinn Thames Founder of the popular pop-up party series 704 Party, Thames is on a mission to change Charlotte's nightlife scene through inclusivity and dancing. Profits from many of her events fund grants for other local creatives so they can jump-start their own projects and add to the city's culture. Festival Colombiano co-presidents Festival Colombiano is more than just a celebration of Colombia's culture — it's a grassroots movement that helped bring national attention to Charlotte. Its co-presidents, Natalia Silva and Karol Cortes, are among the dozens of local Colombian community leaders and business owners who petitioned to bring a Colombian Consulate to Charlotte, but it's their festival that brought then-Colombian ambassador Luis Gilberto Murillo to Charlotte so they could hand him the petition in-person. Last May, Chancellor Murillo announced that their petition was successful. Jordan Dollard Dollard's company, Esther & Elsa, puts on some of Charlotte's most popular vendor markets, the best-known being Front Porch Sundays. This open-air market draws shoulder-to-shoulder crowds along Atherton on the first Sunday of April through December. And in 2024, the small businesses of FPS generated over $1 million in sales — before the holiday shopping season even started. Katie Mitchell The Trope Bookshop owner has created a cult-like following for her popular romance bookstore. So popular that people lined up in droves on opening weekend; at times, that line wrapped around the building. Through Trope, Mitchell has also built a community that has connected people in Charlotte through literature. Kristi Coleman Coleman, the CEO of Tepper Sports & Entertainment and the president of the Carolina Panthers, is one of a few female executives in the NFL. She oversees business operations for the Panthers, Charlotte FC and Bank of America Stadium. Molly Grantham Following a successful 20-year run at WBTV, Grantham recently pivoted her career to empower women. At her inaugural Bet on Yourself Summit last year, she proudly announced to a crowd of 340 women: "I'm reinventing myself at 47 years old." Ziva Postpartum Retreat founders Selena Williams and Lauren Hall launched Charlotte's first postpartum retreat for new mothers. The retreat, which opened earlier this year, was designed to educate and support women with resources as they adjust to motherhood. A few notable reader submissions: "Monifa Drayton is a powerhouse, business owner and the former head of the Arts & Science Council — in addition, [she] currently holds the position as the first Black female board chair of the ABC Board. Through her leadership, she has expanded opportunities for others while also paving the way for herself." — Brittney B. "Kim Lanphear led Apparo to offer services at no cost to nonprofits in need by asking corporate partners to help fund the work. Leading the organization through the transition from a fee-based entity to a fundraising-based nonprofit." — Alyssa M.
