John Locke Foundation: Charlotte

About amateur sports

So the city wants to build more amateur sport facilities as an economic development tool, with the idea being that they would attract a lot of people to come to town for meets. We’ve been down that path before with the U.S. National Whitewater Center. Funny how the city hasn’t mention that to date.

Gov. Pat McCrory: No state money for the Panthers

So reports the Charlotte Observer. And a quote: “We don’t have the money in the state to address that issue,” McCrory told the Observer Monday. “I have never been actually asked for the $62 million, nor do we have it.” Good. And more signs that the City of Charlotte is utterly clueless at negotiating with [...]

Meanwhile in Atlanta…

Atlanta is building currently building a streetcar line. How’s that going? No so well at the moment, as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. H/t: JAT

Charlotte not getting its way in Raleigh

The General Assembly isn’t exactly embracing the city’s plan of raising the prepared food tax by a percent for 30 years to fund $125 million worth of improvements to Bank of America Stadium. Should this come as a surprise? Absolutely not, though Mayor Anthony Foxx, members of Charlotte City Council not named Warren Cooksey, and [...]

Smile, you’re on cop camera

In Greensboro. Within a couple years, the technology will make its way to Charlotte too.

Charlotte
Headlines

29 seek to open charter schools in Charlotte area

CHARLOTTE — Charlotte’s charter boom is poised to keep growing, with 19 applications to open new schools in Mecklenburg County in 2014 and another 10 from surrounding counties. North Carolina’s Office of Charter Schools got 70 applications by Friday’s deadline. Mecklenburg drew the largest number by far, followed by Wake County with nine.

McCrory: Slow down airport bill

CHARLOTTE — A bill that would transfer control of Charlotte’s airport from the city to an independent authority should “slow down,” Gov. Pat McCrory said Monday. But Charlotte’s former longtime mayor declined to offer his opinion of any transfer, instead characterizing it as a local dispute.

McCrory: No state money for Panthers stadium upgrades

CHARLOTTE — Gov. Pat McCrory said Monday that no state money would be available for the Carolina Panthers, complicating the team’s bid for public money to help upgrade Bank of America Stadium. The team has asked the state for $62.5 million toward a planned $250 million stadium renovation. “We don’t have the money in the state to address that issue,” McCrory told the Observer Monday. “I have never been actually asked for the $62 million, nor do we have it.”

Charlotte airport authority bill delayed to seek answers

RALEIGH — A bill to create a Charlotte airport authority hit a delay in the North Carolina Senate Thursday, and could face a longer one in the state House. Sen. Bob Rucho, a Matthews Republican, said he pulled the measure from the Senate calendar to get answers to questions raised Wednesday in a committee.

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

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.”

First Annual North Carolina County Privatization Survey

County governments all over North Carolina are saving money by privatizing services. In an effort to assist in the exchange of information about these activities, the John Locke Foundation conducted a survey of all 100 counties asking county managers to tell us about governmental activities that they currently supply privately. We also asked them if they had problems in the past with a privatized activity that had caused them to return the activity to government provision.