CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Passionate community members of Charlotte took the mic and weighed in on how the city should spend the proposed $3.24 billion budget.
Around 100 community members showed up to the Charlotte City Council meeting on Monday, May 9. Many from the crowd were members of the Charlotte city workforce.
People cheered during public comment and advocated for the adoption of the budget.
In the proposal, there is an increase of pay for city employees including water, sewer and transit hourly workers. The budget would raise the minimum hourly pay for a 40-hour work week to $20 an hour.
Employees on a salary would see a 4% hike in pay.
City employees spoke openly during public. One worker said, “hourly wage workers deserve it and it's here and it finally makes sense.”
Another hop topic of the night were in regard to first responders and pay.
If the budget passes, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers will see an 11% jump for starting out with the agency. Officers already in the department will see a 3% raise.
Some people like Tina Katsanos said the city is using the money the wrong way.
"We need a green budget, not a police budget," Katsanos said. "There’s nothing in the budget over green workforce development.”
Community members applauded the cities ambitious goal of being carbon-free by 2903 but others hotly contested that initiative.
Some said that goal will not happen because there is not enough funding.
Contact Austin Walker at awalker@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.