5 Things to Know: NC Supreme Court Challenge Drags On

The next chapter of the ongoing challenge by Appeals Court Judge Jefferson Griffin to incumbent NC Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs’ reelection win in November is set for Jan. 27, as that’s when the Fourth Circuit appeals court will begin hearing oral arguments between the two sides to decide whether the matter should be settled in state or federal court.

As bipartisan opposition to Jefferson Griffin’s challenge grew throughout the week, the judge’s lawyers narrowed down the amount of voters whose ballots they are asking be thrown out. After spending weeks calling for more than 60,000 ballots to be removed from the count, this week his team shifted its focus to votes from around 5,500 military and overseas citizens who did not provide photo ID with their absentee votes, as they were not obliged by state law to do so.

An analysis from independent reporter Bryan Anderson found that this new angle would disproportionately affect four of the most blue counties in North Carolina and erase the votes of five times more Democrats than Republicans.

The NC Supreme Court voted 4-2 to delay the certification of Riggs’ election last week, with Justice Richard Dietz joining the only remaining Democrat after Riggs’ self-recusal in dissention.

Riggs and other Democrats who filed briefs with the Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday are hoping a federal court will hear and rule on the case while those Republicans still on Jefferson Griffin’s side hope it is sent directly to the hyper-partisan NC Supreme Court.

Council Meets with State Delegation Over Transit Plan

City and county leaders this week began what will be an aggressive push to get a one-cent sales tax on the ballot in local elections this November that would then be used to fund the city’s proposed transit plan, including development of the Red Line commuter rail and other transportation projects.

According to reporting from Charlotte Observer’s Mary Ramsey, the two Republicans in Mecklenburg County’s Democrat-dominated state legislative delegation were in attendance on Monday as Charlotte City Council hosted a legislative briefing that largely centered on the proposed plan.

NC Sen. Vickie Sawyer, a Republican, will reportedly represent the Mecklenburg delegation in the state senate while Democrat-turned-Republican state rep Tricia Cotham will join Democratic rep Becky Carney in leading efforts in the NC House.

The latest version of the city’s transit plan now commits 40% of any gained tax revenue from the increase to road projects to appease Republicans in the NCGA. Despite that and the support from local Republican lawmakers, Sawyer reportedly said Monday that she believes the city’s bill allowing for a referendum only has a “50-50” chance.

CMEMO Warns of Winter Storm

While last weekend brought a small dusting of snow throughout Charlotte, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management is now warning of an imminent winter storm that could bring heavy snowfall, sleet, ice and freezing rain throughout next week.

“Please be aware that power outages are possible,” read an alert from the agency. “To prepare for potential outages, ensure your cell phone and backup batteries or external power packs are fully charged.”

WCNC meteorologist Brad Panovich has been updating followers on social media about what the storm may or may not look like, and as of Friday afternoon it was hard for him to say whether precipitation would fall or what it might look like if it does.

“The most impactful thing and most likely to occur next week is the brutal cold,” Panovich said in a tweet at around 1 p.m. on Friday. “In the Charlotte area, we could see consecutively 75-85 hours below freezing. This is pipe bursting, heater dying and high energy demand kind of cold. You should be spending as much time as you can over the next few days preparing yourself, your home, and your vehicle for this cold.”

CMS Board to Vote on Minimum Wage Increase

The results of a district-wide compensation study carried out by an external firm were presented to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) Board of Education during its meeting Tuesday. The board will vote Jan. 28 on whether to implement a new suggested payment plan for 390 unique, classified job titles across nine pay grades not including teachers.

Most notably, the new plan will raise the district-wide minimum wage to $20, retroactive to July 1, 2024.

Currently, 3,866 employees earn less than $20 per hour and 59% of the proposed budget increase is required to bring these salaries up to the new minimum rate. CMS Chief Financial Officer Kelly Kluttz estimated that it will cost $25,664,241 to implement the first phase of the plan, a process that would begin directly following the vote later this month.

Northlake Close to Sale

The Charlotte Observer reported Wednesday that Northlake Mall is close to selling to the Georgia-based Hull Property Group, which comprises three limited liability groups from the Peach State. The selling price is reportedly $39 million if a judge approves the deal, quite a fall from the $248 million it sold for in 2015.

The mall fell into receivership in 2021 after the owners failed to pay debts. In November 2023, the mall welcomes eight new retailers in hopes of a pre-holiday rejuvenation, followed by the announcement of Belk’s first Belk Outlets location in North Carolina at the mall in May 2024.

The sale must be finalized or rejected by Jan. 22.