Charlotte presents a packed agenda for interim mayor

CITY OF CHARLOTTE

Charlotte City Council and Robert Harrington, the appointed interim mayor, have major issues to address after incumbent Mayor Vi Lyles steps down on June 30.

Interim Mayor Robert Harrington is stepping into a cauldron of contentious issues facing Charlotte.

Harrington, a partner at Robinson Bradshaw law firm, was appointed Monday by City Council to succeed Vi Lyles, who is resigning on June 30. He'll finish the remaining 17 months of Lyles' term and told council members he doesn’t intend to campaign for a full term in 2027.

“I think we’ve got an 18-month bridge here that’s really important,” Harrington said. “It is a bridge to the future. I’m excited to be a part of that bridge and to channel the great energy that you see in that room and move us forward.”

Attorney Robert Harrington was appointed interim mayor by Charlotte City Council on June 22.

Harrington, who was one of five finalists for the job and among 114 applicants, is president of the North Carolina Bar Association, has no experience in elected office but has led the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library board.

Although Charlotte’s mayor can’t for establishing ordinances, which is council’s responsibility, or running city government – that’s the city manager’s job – the position is the highest-profile office on the council. Harrington will lead council meetings and cast the deciding vote in the event council votes result in a tie. Annual salary and compensation for the part-time position is $80,000. The city manager is responsible for day-to-day operations and hiring and firing most employees. 

Among the challenges facing Harrington and council:

• I-77 toll lanes. A bill filed in the General Assembly contains an amendment that demands municipalities repay the state Department of Transportation for design work on the project after withdrawing their support. If Sen. Vickie Sawyer’s amendment is approved, Charlotte – which controls 41% of the vote on the regional transit panel that rescinded its support, would be on the hook for the plurality of the $60 million cost.

• Airport lease renewal. Council and American Airlines have yet to agree to terms on a new deal to use Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The two sides have until June 2027 to strike a new bargain. Contract workers at Charlotte Douglas are pushing the city for better wages and benefits concessions as a plank in the negotiations, although the municipality doesn’t have authority to force American do so.

“Today, many airport workers are still earning poverty wages and rely on taxpayer-funded public programs for basic healthcare, food, and housing assistance,” the Charlotte chapter of Service Employees International Union said in a statement. “Charlotte residents continue to pay some of the highest airfares in the country while passenger satisfaction remains near the bottom among major U.S. airports, and passengers with disabilities continue to face serious barriers ranging from delayed assistance to damaged wheelchairs and safety concerns tied to chronic understaffing and turnover.

“Research has shown that stronger wages, benefits, training, and workforce retention reduce costly turnover, improve customer experience, strengthen accessibility services, and save employers money in the long run. Workforce stability is not a threat to business success. It is part of business success.”

• Relationships with the business community and Raleigh. The I-77 toll project and last year’s close shave in a referendum that committed Charlotte to a 1% transit sales tax have rebalanced the dynamic between grassroots activism and business leaders who have long led the charge for growth. 

How will Harrington’s pro-business bona fides square with newly empowered activists looking to leverage more agency over the city’s future? As for dealing with the Republican-led General Assembly, Harrington will be tasked with building on Lyles’ track record of bridging regional and partisan divides.

• Housing affordability. Charlotte draws more than 100 people daily, which exacerbates the lack of workforce and low-income stock. Add the growing national economic pressures of higher energy and food prices and demands for growing the city’s affordable housing account are increasing. 

• Data centers. Council voted earlier this month on a 150-day building moratorium. What happens after the moratorium expires? Council is tasked with developing guidelines for construction of the centers, which have drawn opposition for their environmental toll well as pressure on infrastructure and consumption of water and electrical assets.  

Mecklenburg County commissioners Chair Mark Jerrell praised Harrington’s appointment “as a meaningful testament to the respect he has earned over the years through professionalism, integrity, and dedication to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community. “Over the course of the next 18 months, we have a series of unique opportunities to strengthen and improve our community.” 

Comments