Residents of Mecklenburg County, it’s your time to stand and be heard. The county is in the initial stages of drafting its budget for the Fiscal Year 2025-2026, and the process kicks off with a public hearing. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 6 p.m. – although the actual hearing won’t start until 6:30 p.m. – at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center's Meeting Chamber located at 600 East Fourth Street, Charlotte, NC, as reported by Mecklenburg County.
Whether it’s parks and recreation, public health services, infrastructural investment, or another area where you believe resources should be allocated, this is an opportunity to let the Board of County Commissioners know what’s on your mind. All residents can sign up to speak at a the public hearing. Those looking to voice their opinions have the option to register online in advance or in person at the meeting with a three-minute limit set for comments.
To reach out digitally, County residents may also email feedback to [email protected] or take a more traditional route by mailing comments to the Clerk at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center address. However, take note that the deadline to get your voice in the mix is fast approaching. To register online to speak or for your comments to be considered via email or mail, make sure everything is submitted by Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 5 p.m.
Post-hearing, the Board of County Commissioners have an annual budget retreat scheduled for Jan. 29-31. Here, financial policies and priority-setting are on the table in anticipation of County Manager Dena R. Diorio’s budget recommendation on May 15. And while the public hearing serves as an important inflection point for resident input, Diorio's presentation is not the final act. In fact, multiple opportunities will come about for further influence before the Board adopts the FY 2025-2026 budget on June 3, as described by Mecklenburg County.
