John Locke Foundation: Charlotte

Charlotte
Headlines

Chiquita deal required global headquarters in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE — Charlotte and Mecklenburg County’s deal with Chiquita Brands International would potentially let them end incentive payments because the fruit company is moving its headquarters to Ireland as part of a merger, according to a review Tuesday of the 2011 agreement. But city and county officials declined to say Tuesday whether they will seek repayment of the more than $1 million already paid, or whether they would stop payment on $1.5 million in future local grants Chiquita is scheduled to receive.

Chiquita merger raises questions on incentives

CHARLOTTE — Less than two years after Chiquita moved its headquarters to Charlotte, the company said Monday it will merge with Irish fruit company Fyffes, throwing its $22 million worth of incentives into question. If approved, the deal will strip Charlotte of a prominent corporate headquarters that leaders worked hard to lure away from Cincinnati with the promise of state and local money.

Union parents plan to proceed with redistricting lawsuit

MONROE — As family and colleagues lauded a veteran Union County school board member who died over the weekend, parents vowed to press on with plans for a lawsuit to try to stop a redistricting plan he supported. John Crowder, 77, who died of a stroke, had made the surprise motion last Tuesday that led to the plan’s approval. The motion was approved 7-1. A final vote on the issue had not been on the agenda.

CMS on tenure controversy: We’ll ask for change, not sue

CHARLOTTE — School board leaders said Wednesday they’ll ask state lawmakers to postpone controversial changes to the teacher tenure system so Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools can create a better plan. But they say they won’t join Guilford and Durham county schools in a lawsuit to block the state plan, which requires all North Carolina districts to choose 25 percent of qualified teachers to receive four-year contracts and $500-a-year raises.

Charlotte's Greatest Hits

Black got sweetheart deal

As jailed former state House Speaker Jim Black mounts a campaign for early release, critics contend that the state justice system did favors for Black regarding the settlement of his $1 million fine.

Questions about Black settlement

Wake County officials say imprisoned former House Speaker Jim Black satisfied a $1 million fine by surrendering some Mecklenburg County real estate, but questions remain about the real market value of the property.

Black settlement may not add up

Imprisoned former House Speaker Jim Black used undeveloped land with a tax value of less than $150,000 to pay off an outstanding $500,000 state fine.

Fat CATS

Colleen Calvani writes that the Charlotte Area Transit system will scale back some routes in an attempt to counter three major decreases in funding.

McCrory’s failure

Jeff Taylor argues that Pat McCrory failed to carry Mecklenburg County because he failed to move its conservatives.

Lynx And Exploding Pipes

Jeff Taylor says there may be another factor to blame for CMUD’s recent series of water leaks.

Research

City and County Issue Guide 2014

Policymakers in the many local governments of North Carolina face a host of important challenges. This issue guide offers solutions to problems that confront North Carolinians at municipal and county levels. The common thread in these recommendations is freedom. By increasing individual freedom, local governments can foster the prosperity of all North Carolinians and keep open avenues to innovative solutions from enterprising citizens.

Carolina Cronyism: Introduction, Overview, and Reforms

Cronyism is an umbrella term covering a host of government activities by which an industry or even a single firm or speculator is given favors and support that they could not attain in market competition. This report explains what opens government to cronyism, gives a brief rundown of recent examples of cronyism in North Carolina, and offers several possible reforms.

By the Numbers: What Government Costs in North Carolina Cities and Counties FY 2010

County and municipal governments provide many key services while taking in billions of dollars in revenue, but finding comparative data is hard. That's why this report provides information of how much local government costs in every city and county in North Carolina.

Raleigh Convention Center: Throwing good money after bad

This report examines 52 contracts signed by the Raleigh Convention Center for the period of July–December 2011 and is a follow-up to the September 2008 John Locke Foundation report “The New Raleigh Convention Center: A taxpayer-funded money pit.”