Latest news with #JohnnyJennings
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Joi Mayo, Charlotte City Council District 3 candidate, answers our questions
To help inform voters in the Sept. 9, 2025, election, this candidate questionnaire is available to be republished by local publications in North Carolina without any cost. Please consider subscribing to The Charlotte Observer to help make this coverage possible. Name: Joi Mayo Email: info@ Political party: Democratic Which position are you running for on the Charlotte City Council? District 3 Birth date: 12/06/1985 Campaign website or social media page: Occupation: Community Engagement Manager Education: Masters of Arts- African American History Have you run for and/or held elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought and/or held) No Please list your highlights of civic involvement Former President of the Kings Creek HOA & the Southwest Area Neighborhood Coalition, former Chair of the Public Relations Committee of the Community Relations Committee, and Founder and Board Chair of Transforming Nations Ford. Led efforts for transit access, a regional rec center, and mural projects. As the Community Engagement Manager for a local environmental nonprofit, I lead equity-focused greening efforts. Former teacher and Faculty Advisory Council President at Southwest Middle. What are the most important issues facing Charlotte, and how would you address them? Charlotte's future hinges on whether we prioritize equity over unchecked growth. In District 3, we face the triple challenge of rising housing costs, underfunded transit, and disinvestment in youth. I will: Protect renters and low-income homeowners from displacement by supporting land trusts, tenant protections, and expanded Housing Trust Fund investments. Improve transit access by pushing for sidewalks, better bus service, and anti-displacement policies tied to rail expansion. Champion youth investment through a regional recreation center, after-school programs, and job training pipelines that serve all parts of our community. We must grow with purpose, ensuring long-time residents benefit from investment, not get priced out by it. The city of Charlotte provided CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings with more than $305,000 in a deal reached during a private meeting – details of which were not available until news outlets started reporting on the issue. Did the city handle this correctly based on what the public knows about the situation? Why or why not? When public dollars are used, residents deserve clear communication and transparency. I believe the council must set and follow public standards for large financial decisions. As a member, I would advocate for timely public engagement and regular reporting, especially on budget items related to leadership compensation, policing, and city contracts. How will you earn public trust in the wake of public controversies that roiled City Council this spring? Trust is earned through transparency, consistency, accessibility, and accountability. I've shown that as an HOA president, nonprofit leader, and city-appointed chair. I believe in listening first, leading with integrity, and ensuring residents feel heard -not sidelined. On Council, I'll host regular office hours, publish updates, and ensure residents know where I stand and how they can be part of the process. How will you work to improve transparency within city government? Transparency is about both access and timing. I'll push for: Early community input on major projects, not just feedback after decisions are made. Budget transparency, especially around police, housing, and development deals. Increased use of accessible formats like translated materials, printed documents in libraries, and mobile outreach. We've seen transparency work during the 2040 Plan process, which included public copies in libraries and virtual office hours. That model should be expanded to all major policy rollouts. The General Assembly has given Mecklenburg County permission to put a referendum on the ballot to raise the county's sales tax to fund road, rail and bus projects. Will you vote in favor of the referendum? Why or why not? I support robust transit funding, but only if it includes strong anti-displacement protections and community benefit guarantees, including small business access to contracts. This means: Land banking near rail and bus routes to keep housing affordable. Job training and apprenticeships for local residents. Support for small, minority-owned businesses along transit corridors. Stay-in-place tools for seniors and longtime homeowners. Transit should connect residents to opportunity, not displace them from it. Without these safeguards, I can't support a plan that may repeat the gentrification patterns we've already seen in South End, Hidden Valley, and beyond. Is there an area where you disagree with your party on local or state issues? Why? I've pushed for stronger action on housing, contractor wages, and environmental justice. I believe we should move faster to protect tenants, ensure all city-funded contractors pay living wages, and prioritize clean air and green space in underserved areas. I'll always advocate for bold, resident-first solutions, even when it means pushing my party. What separates you from your opponent(s)? I bring grassroots experience, not political ambition. I've walked alongside residents for years, helping them organize cleanups, advocate for parks, and push for change in forgotten corridors. From launching a resident-led nonprofit to shaping citywide policy as a committee chair of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee, I know how to move from talk to action. My leadership is rooted in trust, results, and community, not career politics. What one professional or political accomplishment are you most proud of? Founding and serving as the Board Chair of Transforming Nations Ford is my proudest accomplishment. It's more than a nonprofit, it's a proof point. Residents in the Nations Ford/Arrowood corridor have come together to demand better transit, public art, youth investment, and community safety. We've secured funding, built multi-generational & multi-ethnic partnerships, and shown what's possible when communities lead. That's the kind of energy I'll bring to City Council. Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
17-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Sacramento region's housing market show signs of slowing, real estate experts say
The housing market across the Sacramento region is showing serious signs of slowing, with last month marking one of the worst June's for home sales in at least 25 years, according to real estate experts. In Fair Oaks, seller Erin Narveaz said she's been waiting nearly a year for her home to sell, far longer than expected. "We were thinking we were going to have it sold in a couple months, but it's been almost a year," Narveaz said. She's not alone. Many sellers across the region are facing a similar challenge: fewer buyers, fewer offers and rising frustration. "Just waiting for the right person and that's what we've been doing. That's the hard part," Narveaz added. Real estate agent Johnny Jennings, team lead at Make 4 More Realty, said the slowdown is evident. "May was hard. June was way harder," Jennings said. He believes part of the issue is that sellers haven't adjusted to the reality of the current market. "The market is challenging. The key is it has to be turn-key and has to be priced correctly," he said. For buyers waiting for interest rates to drop, Jennings warns not to count on it happening anytime soon. "What I'm hearing every single day is, 'We're waiting to see what the Fed does.' The Federal Reserve has given no indication they're going to drop rates in June and they're not going to do that in July either," he said. Still, Jennings believes the market may be on the verge of a shift. "We're at what I would call a shoulder market. Is the market going down or is it coming back up? I think a lot of people are sitting on the fence," he said. Currently, real estate experts say most pending home sales in the region received just one offer, a major drop from the competitive, multi-offer days of years past. The average home price across Placer, El Dorado, Sacramento, and Yolo counties now sits at around $638,000. But in roughly 40% of pending sales, sellers had to cut their asking price before a buyer finally made an offer. Until interest rates drop, experts said the sluggish pace may continue, with both buyers and sellers left waiting on the sidelines.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Will Charlotte City Council's chaotic spring affect outcomes of 2025 election?
Drama on the Charlotte City Council and a long-awaited referendum have the potential to shake up local government in this year's elections. The 2025 local election cycle launches Monday with the start of candidate filing for September primaries and the November general election. Recent municipal elections have been marked by low voter turnout and incumbents easily keeping their seats. But a flurry of controversies — including a closed-door settlement with the city's chief of police and a City Council member's indictment — hit Charlotte leaders leading up to election season. A referendum to increase the county's sales tax rate to pay for transportation projects may also influence local races, political leaders, strategists and experts say. While the status quo could hold, they say, there's also potential for more competitive races. 'It's not good news for incumbents on City Council,' UNC Charlotte political scientist Eric Heberlig said. 'Whether people's questions and uncertainty and unhappiness will translate in a way that impacts the election results is less clear.' The Charlotte City Council's controversies dominated the conversation about local politics in recent months. News broke in early May of council members approving a six-figure settlement with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings. Weeks of unanswered questions followed, and Council member Victoria Watlington alleged 'unethical, immoral, and frankly, illegal activities occurring within City government.' Later in May, Council member Tiawana Brown was indicted on federal fraud charges over alleged misuse of pandemic relief loan money. The controversies have Charlotte voters feeling 'fatigued,' said Kyle Kirby, chair of the Mecklenburg County Republican Party. He believes the Jennings settlement will be a major issue with voters in upcoming elections. 'That's a bipartisan issue that a number of people are upset about, and it just has to do with transparency,' he said. People are starting to pay more attention to what's going on in city government, CharlotteEAST executive director Greg Asciutto said. But Asciutto, whose organization works to increase civic engagement, also wonders if recent events will fade from people's memories and be replaced by other news cycles before its time to cast ballots. 'Does that turn into somebody changing their vote or getting them to vote at all? I think that's the issue right at the crux,' he said. Mecklenburg County Democratic Party Chair Wesley Harris said controversy can either turn people off from local politics or energize them to get more involved. 'If you don't like what's going on, there is a solution to that. It's getting involved and making sure your voice is heard,' he said. Others, such as Action NC political director Robert Dawkins, are less convinced recent controversies will make a difference come Election Day. He said residents in Brown's west Charlotte District 3 told him they plan to stick with her despite her indictment, noting her reputation for being engaged and responsive with constituents. 'She shows up with them,' he said. Another anticipated key issue for the 2025 election is the countywide sales tax referendum for road, rail and bus projects. Mecklenburg finally received the General Assembly's blessing for the plan in early summer, and county commissioners are expected to formally put it on the November ballot in August. Local political strategist Bryan Holladay predicts the referendum will 'bring attention that we are in an election cycle.' While it's not guaranteed to drive voter turnout, it could if candidates make their position on the plan a key part of their platform, he said. 'If any candidate decides they want to differentiate themselves and say they're not supporting transit, that will be an interesting indicator to see what will happen in the primary itself,' he said. Heberlig agrees the plan could be a driver for turnout if there's division and debate about it. 'Something like transportation and a referendum on taxes to pay for it is going to generate interest from a lot more voters than, you know, the typical city council agenda,' he said. Asciutto wonders whether the referendum will 'get buried' until after the September primaries because it won't be on the ballot till the general election. 'I genuinely don't know if that's going to drive people out,' he said. Longtime Democratic campaign manager Dan McCorkle said the fate of the referendum, and its impact on other races, will be decided by how it's marketed to voters. 'It depends on who is running the 'yes' campaign and who is running the 'no' campaign,' he said. Harris expects the referendum will draw more attention to the general election than an average municipal election year. 'It'll be a very strong debate,' he said. Despite attention on recent controversies and transportation, there are other issues on voters' minds heading into election season. Many in east Charlotte, Asciutto said, are primarily concerned with the cost of living and crime, as well as issues stemming from homelessness and a lack of public amenities. Eastside voters who are more engaged with local government are also interested in small business development and the level of influence major business leaders and developers have on local officials, he added. Dawkins said the 'main concern is affordable housing' in many of the low- and moderate-income communities across Charlotte he works in. People are concerned about the impacts of rapid growth and gentrification as new developments change the character of their neighborhoods and make them less affordable, he said. Republicans want to put a focus on the 'single-party control' by Democrats in local government, Kirby said. Democrats hold nine of 11 seats on the Charlotte City Council, the mayor's office and every seat on the Mecklenburg County commission. The GOP has struggled in recent local elections to make headway with Charlotte voters. 'They've got to look at whether or not their lives are better off under continuous Democrat control,' he said. Maria Elena Conaway, vice chair of the Mecklenburg Republicans, said Charlotte's Latino community is particularly concerned about accountability, crime and education. 'We want stability,' she said. Regardless of what emerges as the key issues in the 2025 election cycle, past elections show candidates face an uphill battle just to get voters to the polls. Only 15.54% of eligible Mecklenburg voters participated in the 2023 general election, and 4.92% of voters in the September primary that year. In the 2022 July city council election, 12.06% of eligible voters cast ballots, with 14.07% voter turnout in the May primary that year. And 2019 saw 17.11% general election turnout and 21.65% turnout in the September primary. Turnout in municipal elections is driven down by transplants to Charlotte who aren't invested in local issues in addition to a frequent lack of competitive races due to Democratic dominance, Holladay said. He questions whether the recent controversies will break through with the average resident enough to impact turnout. 'The people who vote already know who their candidates are and who they tend to like,' he said. Dawkins doesn't believe transportation or other issues will drive lower propensity voters out, leading to low turnout again. 'They're not really talking about the election,' he said. Harris said Democrats want to hold more town halls this election cycle to engage with voters in 'noncompetitive' areas and 'show people the importance of why it really does matter who your elected officials are.' Democrats also may get a turnout boost from voters looking to express displeasure with President Donald Trump's administration, Heberlig said. 'Most turnout is driven by national and higher-profile politics,' he said. Heberlig predicted the transportation referendum could also drive up turnout in east Charlotte and Matthews, communities frustrated the plan doesn't include funding for light rail to their areas. Because of the Democrats' dominance over local government, 'the primaries are probably the best opportunity for people to register their displeasure' with recent events in city government, Heberlig said. But a strong challenger needs to connect with people in order to have a chance at upsetting an incumbent, he said. 'You need candidates with sufficient stature that they're able to communicate enough of a message and knock on enough doors that they can channel people's dissatisfaction into their campaigns,' he said. Challengers also need evidence to back up claims about incumbents in order to convince voters to jump to them, Heberlig added. After taking a 'hands-off approach' in the September primaries, Harris said Mecklenburg Democrats will focus on City Council District 6. Longtime Republican representative Tariq Bokhari, who won his last two races by fewer than 500 votes, vacated the south Charlotte seat this year for a job in the Trump administration. In addition to defending key areas such as District 6, Kirby said the Mecklenburg GOP also wants to target the county's growing population of unaffiliated voters and more diverse voters. They also want to grow their base in traditionally blue areas, including the indicted Brown's District 3. 'We want to make sure that we use our efforts to get out the vote in the areas that aren't traditionally considered Republican,' he said. The county party has a new headquarters and is increasing candidate recruitment and providing more resources to candidates. Republicans have 'a key opportunity to get local voters to at least make a short term exception to their traditional voting trends,' Heberlig said, with a focus on 'less ideologically charged' issues such city taxes, public safety and government accountability. McCorkle said how interesting election season gets will largely depend on the quality of candidates who run, and whether they can get voters engaged. 'The election is either going to be fairly boring, or there can be some real excitement,' he said.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Yahoo
Charlotte leaders plan national search for CMPD Chief Jennings' successor
Now that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings has shared his plans to retire by 2026, city leaders will begin a nation-wide search for his successor, a city announcement said. Jennings, who joined the department in 1992 and was promoted to chief in 2020, went public with his decision Sunday — the same day he released details of the $305,000 closed-session settlement he made with the city earlier in May. The deal reportedly stopped a lawsuit over comments made by former City Council member Tariq Bokhari, who pushed Jennings to get new bulletproof vests for police officers, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. After Jennings announced his retirement plans, two of the city's top leaders thanked him for his commitment to the city. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles praised Jennings as a 'transformative leader for CMPD and a true champion for Charlotte,' her statement read. 'His dedication to public safety and his innovative approaches to policing have made our city safer and stronger,' Lyles said. 'We are immensely grateful for his 33 years of service and his commitment to leading the department through the end of the year.' Charlotte City Manager Marcus Jones also thanked Jennings. He said Jennings' leadership has been 'instrumental in advancing public safety.' 'As we begin the search for our next chief, we are committed to finding a leader who will continue to build upon Chief Jennings' legacy and uphold our city's commitment to safety and justice for all,' said Jones in a statement. Jennings' separation agreement awards the chief the following: ▪ $14,016.70 in retroactive pay ▪ $45,698.56 retention bonus ▪ $45,284.70 for 40 days of vacation ▪ $175,000 in severance pay ▪ 25,000 'for costs incurred related to the Dispute.' Jennings annual salary was about $280,300. Last week, State Auditor Dave Boliek said his office planned to investigate the city's settlement with Jennings. At the time, city officials refused to share details of the agreement, saying details of the agreement were not public record. 'Even if the payment was worth one penny, it should be disclosed to the public in a timely and transparent matter,' wrote Boliek in a letter to Lyles. Details of the separation agreement were first reported by The Charlotte Optimist and The Assembly.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
CMPD Chief Jennings faces both praise and criticism after details of his $305K settlement released
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Charlotte's top cop will retire at the end of the year. CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings announced his decision Sunday and released the details of his $300,000 settlement he reached with the city council earlier this month. It was a settlement the council would not comment on because it was agreed to in a closed session. Interim City Attorney Anthony Fox explained the council's position during a press conference after reports of the settlement began circulating in local media. Jennings had reportedly threatened to sue over threatening texts sent by former city council member Tariq Bokhari. The two were arguing over whether officers should wear outer protective vests. 'We're not going to confirm or deny, the law provides for certain confidentiality of closed sessions as well as personnel privacy matters and we're going to respect the law,' said Fox. Jennings released the settlement in full this week and said there were too many assumptions about what had been agreed to. In total, the city agreed to pay Jennings $305,000. That amount includes a pay increase of $14,016,70, a retention bonus worth $45,698.56, 40 additional days of vacation valued at $45,284.70, $175,000 in severance, and $25,000 for legal fees. Jennings had faced both praise and criticism in the weeks following the initial reporting of the settlement and Charlotte's Fraternal Order of Police is still moving forward with a vote of no confidence. But former CMPD leaders, like Assistant Chief of Police Vicki Foster, a 28-year veteran of the department, told Queen City News his successor will have big shoes to fill. 'They have to be able to not only just engage but be a part of what is going on and understanding,' said Foster. The state auditor's office, which opened an investigation after the city refused to release details on the settlement, praised the move by Jennings but has yet to conclude their investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
