Afternoon Observer | Charlotte mayor, city council in line to get big raises + Get ready to ditch big, plastic bags for yard waste

Kristen Kornbluth
·4 min read

Happy Wednesday, everybody. This is Kristen.

Today, I’d like y’all to give a warm welcome to one of my newest colleagues, Jonathan Limehouse. He’s our new breaking news reporter and will devote his time at the Observer to reporting on the news you need to know, when you need to know it. In fact, one of his essential stories is featured right here in this very newsletter. See what he’s written for us here, and say “hi” to him here on Twitter. Anything happening around town that you think Limehouse should know about? Let me know.

Now, let’s talk about today’s news:

1. Charlotte mayor, city council in line to get big raises

It took a 422-page book to cover all the details of City Manager Marcus Jones’ proposed $2.7 billion city budget. The Observer’s Alison Kuznitz dug through the pages and found near the back that some hefty salary changes could be on deck for the city’s mayor and council.

What did she find?

  • Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and City Council members are slated to receive salary increases in the next fiscal year if they approve the proposed adjustment for themselves in June.

  • All city employees would get a 3% merit increase in fiscal year 2022.

  • Lyles’ salary would increase by 41.5%. Her total compensation, including benefits, would rise by 30.4%. That would bring her salary to $39,646 and total compensation to $59,868.

  • Salary and total compensation for Charlotte City Council members could grow by 50% — to $32,638 and $52,444, respectively.

Kuznitz has more here about what’s happening — and why.

2. Forget the big, plastic bags for yard waste

Yard waste is stacked beside a recycling bin during pickup day in Charlotte on Tuesday, April 7, 2020.Yes, yard waste pick up has been delayed but don’t put it in with your recyclables.
Yard waste is stacked beside a recycling bin during pickup day in Charlotte on Tuesday, April 7, 2020.Yes, yard waste pick up has been delayed but don’t put it in with your recyclables.

When it comes to bags of yard clippings and leaves, it’s time for Charlotte to ditch plastic bags. Beginning this summer, yard waste can’t go in those bags for collection, the city announced Wednesday.

So, how do I get my waste collected?

  • Use compostable paper bags or reusable containers no larger than 32 gallons.

When does this start?

  • The “paper bag mandate” goes into effect July 5, as reported by the Observer’s Jonathan Limehouse.

Why is this happening?

  • Environmental impacts of plastic and operational efficiency were factors, according to the city.

3. Wake tops Mecklenburg in estimated population in NC

Mecklenburg County is no longer North Carolina’s most populous county, new U.S. Census Bureau estimates show. Who wears that crown now? Wake County, which includes Raleigh. Wake has 1.13 million people, while Mecklenburg has 1.12 million.

What else do the numbers say?

  • Wake grew by 1.75% from 2019-20.

  • Mecklenburg grew by 1.41%.

  • The Census Bureau has yet to release an official population count. That will be detailed later in the 2020 Census.

Find more highlights from the 2019-20 estimates from the Observer’s Gavin Off.

4. What’s happening in Charlotte food?

Shrimp and Scallops Caponata with sweet potato mash, roasted medley carrots and a sweet and spicy caper sauce.
Shrimp and Scallops Caponata with sweet potato mash, roasted medley carrots and a sweet and spicy caper sauce.

  • Sorry, Bojangles — another Southern chicken chain is expanding into the Charlotte coop. Slim Chickens, based in Arkansas, will open 30 locations in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. That includes up to 15 restaurants in Charlotte, as reported by the Observer’s Catherine Muccigrosso.

  • COVID-19 led to a lot of restaurant closures, but it hasn’t stopped Chef’s Kitchen. As CharlotteFive’s Laurie Larsh reports, a second location of the upscale fusion restaurant is coming to the Charlotte area this summer.

Hungry for more? Catch up on more restaurants coming to the area here with CharlotteFive.

5. Today’s sports dispatch

Our team of sports reporters works hard every day to keep you informed about what’s happening in athletics, both in Charlotte and beyond. Here’s what they know today:

Keep up with the rest of our sports coverage here.

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