5 Things to Know: Election Filing Begins, Lyles to Run Again

Election Filing Begins, Lyles to Run Again

Filing for municipal elections in Mecklenburg County began on Monday and a few days later Mayor Vi Lyles answered a question many have been wondering about when she announced she plans to run for reelection this year in pursuit of a fifth term.

“Charlotte is a city of opportunity, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve made,” Lyles said in a statement on Thursday. “From expanding affordable housing to improving public safety and investing in our infrastructure, we are delivering real results. But there is still work to do — and I’m ready to keep doing it.”

Lyles’ announcement garnered a reaction from one of her predecessors, as former Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts took to social media to voice her own contemplation over running again this year.

“Just saw that Vi Lyles announced she will run for yet another term as mayor . Waited until filing was halfway through to announce,” Roberts tweeted on Thursday afternoon. “Charlotteans should have choices. It’s a challenging time for our city and country. Maybe I should sign up to run again….”

Roberts, who served one term as mayor from 2015-17 before being ousted by Lyles, will have until the filing deadline on July 18 to decide whether she wants to make another run at the office.

Elsewhere on Charlotte City Council, sitting members Dimple Ajmera, Renee Perkins Johnson and Ed Driggs have already filed for reelection. In District 3, where current rep Tiawana Brown is under federal indictment for alleged PPP loan fraud, three challengers have already filed.

One Democratic challenger, Montravias King, has environmental activism in common with Roberts. The other Democrat to file in District 3, Joi Mayo, is co-founder of Transforming Nations Ford, a grassroots community coalition that advocates for the Nations Ford/Arrowood roads corridor.

“I’m running because I’ve seen firsthand how disinvestment impacts neighborhoods,” Mayo stated in a release on Monday. “Our families deserve safe streets, thoughtful planning, and real access to opportunity. I’ll fight for the long-term investment our communities need.”

Republican James H. Bowers, who in 2023 lost to Brown by more than 57 percentage points, has also filed in District 3. Brown has stated her intention to file for reelection in the coming week.

CMS Board of Ed Decries Federal Freeze in Education Funding

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education (CMS BOE) Chair Stephanie Sneed and fellow rep Summer Nunn, who chair of the board’s Intergovernmental Relationships Committee, sent an open letter to the US Department of Education (DOE) and North Carolina lawmakers on Thursday decrying the DOE’s decision to withhold over $6 billion in approved federal education grants for public schools across the country.

This delay in federal funding that was congressionally approved and signed into law by President Donald Trump in March places more than $12 million in allocated CMS funding at risk.

“Without access to this critical funding, CMS faces two untenable options, both of which would have severe consequences for students, educators, and the broader community,” reads Thursday’s letter.

“1. Understaff classroom support positions and absorb budget shortfalls for already-hired staff. Such measures will directly impact the quality of education and the ability of students to thrive academically.

“2. Incur $1 million in monthly debt, diverting resources from vital educational priorities. These funds, once redirected, cannot be recovered for student use, further worsening the challenges faced by our schools.”

The letter “urgently requests” that the DOE release all allocated funding to the schools it was meant for while asking all NC representatives in Congress to lobby for the same.

CMPD Officer Shot in Uptown

A 20-year-old man is believed to have shot an off-duty CMPD officer who was responding to a disturbance outside of The Ascher Uptown high-rise apartment complex in Fourth Ward on Sunday night.

According to CMPD, the officer got into “a physical altercation” with the suspect upon arriving on the scene, during which the suspect allegedly shot the officer in the leg and fled the scene. He was arrested nearby shortly after.

The officer was treated on scene by responding officers before Medic transported him to an area hospital to undergo surgery. CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings tweeted on Wednesday that he visited the officer and found him in good spirits, calling his actions “heroic.”

The suspect has been charged with attempted first-degree murder; two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill; resisting arrest; two counts of malicious conduct by a prisoner; assault inflicting serious bodily injury on a law enforcement officer; assault with a firearm on a law enforcement officer; assault on a government official; assault on a female. He was denied bail on Monday.

Salud Owner Arrested, Facing Tax Charges

The owner of popular NoDa haunts Salud Beer Shop and Salud Cerveceria was arrested Thursday on felony tax charges filed by the North Carolina Department of Revenue (NC DOR).

According to a Friday release from NC DOR, 43-year-old Jason Glunt faces nine counts of embezzlement of state property for allegedly “embezzling, misapplying, and converting” to his business’s own use approximately $442,914 in NC and Mecklenburg County sales taxes between July 1, 2015-Dec. 31, 2019 and again from Jan. 1, 2021-Dec. 31, 2024.

Glunt appeared before a Wake County magistrate following his arrest there and was placed under a $150,000 bond. His first court appearance is scheduled for Monday in Wake County Superior Court in Raleigh.

NAACP Convention Convenes in Charlotte

The NAACP officially convened its 116th National Convention in Charlotte this morning. Returning to the Queen City for the first time since time since 1996, the convention is expected to bring tens of thousands of people to Charlotte between today and Wednesday when the event wraps.

This year’s convention, themed The Fierce Urgency of Now, aims to be a week of action, reflection and mobilization as delegates, community members and national leaders confront the defining civil rights challenges of today, according to a Saturday morning release.

“We are witnessing a full-scale assault on democracy in real time — from the statehouse to the courthouse. This summit is not just a gathering — it’s a call to action,” stated Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of NAACP. “We’re here to equip our local leaders, uplift our communities and mobilize our members against those trying to silence our voices and dismantle our rights. Democracy cannot wait — and neither can we. Our time is now.”

During this morning’s Health Equity Summit, leaders in public health, medicine and policy convened to examine urgent issues facing Black communities — from medical racism to mental health access to maternal mortality. Organized around the NAACP Center for Health Equity’s four strategic pillars, the summit spotlighted actionable solutions to dismantle structural barriers and promote whole-community wellness, according to the release.

This year’s convention includes a new initiative called Be in the Biz, which aims to bridge the opportunity gap for underrepresented creatives, connecting aspiring filmmakers, writers and producers with industry insiders including executives, producers and changemakers who shape the culture.

“Hollywood shapes perception — and perception shapes progress,” said Kyle Bowser, senior vice president of NAACP Hollywood Bureau. “By building a pipeline for Black creators to tell our stories, we’re not just diversifying entertainment — we’re reclaiming our narratives.”