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INSIDE ▼ Firm supports Claire's Army PAGE 3A Friday, May 16, 2025 • Vol. 25 • No. 20
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Mint Hill budget won’t have property tax hike by Justin Vick justin@cmgweekly.com
MINT HILL – Town Manager Brian Welch recommends a 2025-26 fiscal year budget that does not include a property rate increase.
Mint Hill commissioners held a public hearing on the budget during their May 8 meeting. Welch kept it short and sweet, reading off the following line items: general fund ($29,422,304), Powell Bill fund ($1,498,800), stormwater fund ($683,219), police forfeiture fund ($50), capital projects-Bain Community Center ($12,702,900),
infrastructure fund ($50) and tourism fund ($405,000).This all adds up to a budget of $44,712,823. The property tax rate will remain at $0.225 per $100 of assessed value. Commissioner Patrick Holton pointed to Welch’s budget message that accompanied the proposed budget. It read that Mint Hill’s tax rate is “one of the lowest in the state for a municipality of our size.” “Huge accomplishment to our staff and town manager as per usual,” Holton said. Commissioner Dale Dalton said he was proud there was no tax increase. Commissioner Twanna
Henderson thanked Welch and staff for a job well done. “Thank you to the staff, especially in the room,” Mayor Brad Simmons said. “Town manager works through these numbers and then he passes off to them and you guys have to live with them all year long.” Simmons also acknowledged the police and fire chiefs in the board chambers, thanking them for what they do to keep the tax rate down. Some highlights from the budget are as follows: • Five additional positions in the police department: three officers (pending a grant), one detective
and one wiring technician. • Three additional positions in the fire department as well as costs associated with the opening of a new fire station on Lebanon Road. • Two additional positions, including a mechanic, in the public works department. • A new assistant town manager position that will be filled via promotion. • 4% market rate adjustment and 2.5% merit pool adjustment. The market rate adjustment becomes effective with the second payroll after Jan. 1, 2026. • Five new vehicles as well as new computers, data storage and
CMS LAUNCHING DISTRICT VISION FOR AI IN EDUCATION
other technology for the police department. • $1 million in street resurfacing. • Funding for weekly curbside collection of one 96-gallon can, bi-weekly recycling and weekly debris pickup. • Landscaping equipment for the parks and recreation department. • Costs related to renovating the old Bain Elementary School into a community center. “Mint Hill will continue all efforts to provide its residents with the highest possible level of service while striving to be good stewards of the town’s tax dollars,” Welch wrote in his budget message.
Matthews faces a property tax increase by Justin Vick justin@cmgweekly.com
MATTHEWS – Town Manager Becky Hawke presented May 12 a recommended budget for the 2026 fiscal year that includes increases to the property tax rate and stormwater fee.
Rebecca Lehtinen, an Educational technology for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, chats with Ardrey Kell High School senior Zahara Mushinge about artificial intelligence. Photos courtesy of CMS
CHARLOTTE – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools explored artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and data privacy in public education May 7 during its second annual AI Data Privacy Summit.
“Over the past several months, we’ve been on an intentional listening journey to better understand how our CMS community wants us to approach artificial intelligence in our district,” said Candace Salmon-Hosey, chief technology officer. “Whether through focus groups, interviews or surveys, your voice has shaped where we are today. And that’s our commitment to you: to act on what you’ve shared with us, safely, strategically and always in service to our students, families and educators.” Story continues, see AI page 3A
The AI Data Privacy Summit brought together educators, district leaders, and community partners.
CMS recognizes top teachers CHARLOTTE – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools announced recipients of its Teacher of the Year, Teacher Assistant of the Year and Beginning Teacher of the Year at its third annual Gem Awards.
The award ceremony took place May 6 at Central Piedmont Community College. Winners were as follows: • Teacher of the Year: Gregory Gabriel (Winterfield Elementary). • Teacher Assistant of the Year: Freddie Pinkney (Ardrey Kell High). • Beginning Teacher of the Year: Sean Bryant (Newell Elementary). “Teaching is a hard, yet rewarding, profession. Teachers teach way more than content,” Superintendent Crystal Hill said. “They teach students how to be curious, creative and confident. They help them become the people they are meant to be.” Here is who won Teacher of the Year, Teacher Assistant of the Year and Beginning Teacher of the Year at schools in the Matthews and Mint Hill area: • Albemarle Road Middle School:
Samantha Norris (teacher), Charlotte Smith (teacher assistant) and Kemryn Perry (beginning teacher). • Bain Elementary School: Candice Dishman (teacher), Kathleen Jackson (teacher assistant) and Lillie Brock (beginning teacher). • Butler High School: Steven Rusk (teacher) and Dionne Donaldson (teacher assistant). • Clear Creek Elementary School: La'Brina McRae (teacher) and Kerry Ricks (teacher assistant). • Crestdale Middle School: Brenda Thompson (teacher) and Katie Hartman (teacher assistant). • Crown Point Elementary School: Emily Johnston (teacher) and Rania Haidar (teacher assistant). • Elizabeth Lane Elementary School: Emma Tkach (teacher) and Karen Torti (teacher assistant). • Independence High School: Corey Poole (teacher), Alivia Foster (teacher assistant) and Nicole Breckenridge (beginning teacher).
• Lebanon Road Elementary School: Emily Manuel (teacher), Diane Wheatley (teacher assistant) and Danielle Jinkins and Latrese Wood (beginning teacher). • Levine Middle College High School: Erik Weghorst (teacher). • Matthews Elementary School: Kaitlyn Linscheid (teacher) and Delores P. Walton (teacher assistant). • McKee Road Elementary School: Lisa Rosthal (teacher) and Megha Kandala (teacher assistant). • Mint Hill Elementary School: Kelly Hay (teacher) and Amy York (teacher assistant). • Mint Hill Middle School: Kalilah Smith (teacher) and Che' Payne (teacher assistant). • Providence High School: Scott R. Fernandez (teacher), Maria Blanzaco (teacher assistant) and Rod Stephen (beginning teacher). • Rocky River High School: Deja CookBrown (teacher), Brosean Brice (teacher assistant) and Sean Mondichak (beginning teacher).
Hawke said a property tax rate increase of 1.3 cents is needed to begin repaying debt service for $11 million in general obligation bonds issued this year. The majority of that debt will be used to pay for park improvements, namely the design and construction for Purser-Hulsey Park. With a 0.2795 tax rate per $100 of assessed value, the average $429,000 home would see an increase of $55.81 to their annual property tax bill. Matthews homes will see an average increase of $2.12 per month in stormwater fees to maintain the system, which includes personnel, maintenance and improvements. Commissioners approved the rate increase in February. Hawke also highlighted the need to maintain market competitiveness when it comes to recruitment and retention of staff. Her budget includes a 3% cost of living adjustment and a 3% increase in the merit for performance pool. Hawke’s recommendation for the 2025-26 budget is $37,646,985, which is $1,651,612 higher than the budget adopted for 2024-25. Hawke credited staff for their work putting together this year’s budget. “They had a pretty strong edict this year that other than the tax increase that was already going to be coming related to the bonds that there was no room for anything else,” Hawke said. “We needed them to find ways to provide a budget that still allowed them to do what they needed to do operationally and that we would still be able to support our employees with appropriate additional compensation but otherwise we needed to hold the line as much as possible. I think you'll see that in the budget.” Commissioner Leon Threatt asked Hawke if it was possible to present a budget without a tax increase. “I can tell you there is not $909,000 in this budget (the amount needed for debt service) without drastically impacting operations and the health of how we fund things,” Hawke replied. She said the vast majority of the budget goes to items the town has no control over, such as increases in retirement contributions and state health insurance. Other increases beyond her control include electricity rates, solid waste collection and risk management premiums. Threatt threw out the idea of using the town’s fund balance, or savings, as a means of avoiding a tax increase for this year alone. Hawke said using one-time dollars for ongoing expenses was not a fiscal best practice and the board would be delaying the inevitable tax increase for a year. After all, the hike is needed to pay for the debt service for the voter-approved general obligation bonds. Threatt did not give up. He asked if staff, for him, would present a budget without a tax increase. Hawke said she would do that if that was the will of the board. Mayor John Higdon said the board will be engaged in several budget meetings and will have opportunities to look at each line item in detail. The public will have a chance to weigh in on the budget during a May 27 public hearing.