Dr. Victoria Watlington, PE, PMP

Last meeting before the break was a big one.

So proud to have supported Carrie Cook. Welcome, Interim Mayor Harrington.

Voted yes on the BofA Stadium lease — but kept my eyes on the horizon. As Charlotte grows, we have to evolve how we assess and consider the public good.

Looking ahead — this term is not a holding pattern. The Charlotte that's coming needs all of us showing up as leaders, right now.

City of Charlotte
Interim mayor interviews wrapped today, and the streets are talking.

However you watched--live, replay, or just catching clips--I want to hear it.

Who stood out to you in the interim mayor interviews, and why? Charlotte's voice matters in this moment.

A state senator filed legislation to punish Charlotte and our regional partners for voting the wrong way on I-77.

The Town of Matthews had their attorney review it. His conclusion: it raises serious constitutional questions, and may put North Carolina's federal transportation funding at risk.

But here's what really gets me. NCDOT is funded by taxpayers. The people of Mecklenburg County already paid for this work. This amendment asks them to pay for it again. To reimburse the state for money the state already collected from them in the first place.

From Asheville to Wilmington, red county or blue county--THAT SHOULD OFFEND YOU. You don't tax people twice for the same thing. That's not accountability.

That's, quite literally, highway robbery.




City of Charlotte
Mecklenburg County, NC
ncdot

I have a vote. And I don't take it lightly.
The interim mayor list is out, and I've been sitting with the weight of that. Not because this is a political moment. Because it's a people moment.
Your rent went up. Your street still floods. Your corridor has been waiting on investment for years. And all the while, this city keeps growing--cranes on every skyline--and the question that keeps coming back is: growing for whom?
That question isn't unique to Charlotte. Across this country, people are done waiting for leadership to trickle down to them. They're choosing leaders who govern like they have to live with the consequences. Who built something before anyone handed them a title. Who see public service as a continuation of the work--not the beginning of it.
That's the standard I'm bringing to this vote.
Not who's next in line. Not who the moment benefits. But who has already shown up for Charlotte--fully, completely, before the cameras were on.
Because I think about the family that's been in their neighborhood for twenty years watching it change around them. The small business owner who's been promised investment for a decade. Every child--no matter their zip code, their background, or who they come from--who deserves to look at this city's leadership and see a place for themselves.
That's who this vote is for.
Charlotte is at an inflection point. And so is this country. The leader we choose right now (even in an interim appointment) sends a signal about who we are and who we're becoming.
A city smart enough to grow and grow right. Where business and community are partners, not opponents. Where accountability isn't a punishment; it's a promise.
That Charlotte is possible. The decisions we make right now are how we get there.
I'm going to vote like that's true.
I'm going to lead like that's true.

Charlotte has 43 data centers, and most of us didn't know it. That changes Monday.

I support the 150-day moratorium. Completely.

And this week the state House passed SB 730: a statewide framework for land use standards, water requirements, and utility disclosures. The General Assembly is moving prospectively. So should we.

I also support telling you the truth about what we can and cannot legally do--and why that distinction actually protects you.

The law is clear. The vote is Monday. And as always, I'm ready to work with anyone at the table to get this right for Charlotte.

It's not too late to check out this weekend!

Most people have never heard of Opportunity Zones, but they shape which neighborhoods get private investment for the next 10 years. The map is being redrawn right now, and Charlotte's comment period closes June 7th. Here's what you need to know. 🧵⬇️

Called it in 2024. The NC Supreme Court just agreed. And Charlotte isn't the only city that needs to hear this. 🏙️