CHARLOTTE — Many candidates describe Charlotte City Council as dysfunctional and lacking in transparency, but as Mayor Vi Lyles seeks a fifth term, she wants to improve that perception.
However, she says she’s standing by the decision to settle with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings.
The city is paying more than $300,000 to its top cop after Jennings says he was mistreated by former councilmember Tariq Bokhari during the councilman’s quest to secure outer carrier vests.
The settlement sparked controversy when the city refused to disclose until Jennings made it public under pressure.
Channel 9’s Joe Bruno sat down with the mayor to talk about the state of the city and her efforts to secure her fifth term this November.
Lyles: “I believe that we treat people fairly. If you know, in our HR programs, and all of the things that we do, that Johnny isn’t any different than other people that we’ve actually had these kinds of contracts with. I just tell you, by the person that he is, is because he gave the media the story, and it wasn’t something that we would have done.”
Bruno: “So the city never would have revealed this?”
Lyles: “We’d have to ask a lawyer that, and I’m not a lawyer today.”
She’s the mayor today and wants to call herself that a year from now. As she campaigns for another term, she is aggressively backing the sales tax increase for transit.
She says she also understands public safety needs to be a priority.
Bruno: “How safe do you consider Charlotte?”
Lyles: “I think it all depends on where you live and what you’re doing and whether or not we have a program for you at this time.”
She says if given another term, she wants to see the city prioritize addressing homelessness.
“I think the housing of the unhoused is one of the things that we have to tackle pretty immediately,” she said.
Her fifth term isn’t guaranteed. She’s facing four challengers in the Democratic primary, but she says her work isn’t finished and she’s prepared to make the case to voters.
Charlotte’s city council primaries are Sept. 9. Early voting began Thursday.
Before you head to the voting booth, check out our Political Beat Candidate Guide. We asked every candidate key questions on topics that matter to you.
VIDEO: Where you can vote early in Charlotte for the primary election
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