The radio-frequency identification devices can be scanned by collection crews when the bins are left curbside, according to Adria Collis, a spokesperson with the Charlotte's Solid Waste Services.
Data will help determine which neighborhoods recycle, allowing the city to focus educational efforts on communities which are not using the containers, Collis said.
Crews can also keep an inventory of the containers, which cost taxpayers nearly $40 each, she said.
Beginning in July, the collection of recyclables will occur every two weeks, instead of weekly. The savings from the less frequent collections will take the equivalent of 22 trucks off the road and will more than offset the cost of the containers, officials have said.
More than 200,000 homes are scheduled to receive the 96-gallon bins by the end of next month.
The larger cans, are the same size as city-issued trash receptacles, replace the 18-gallon bins which have been used by Charlotte for about 16 years.
Several homeowners contacted by NewsChannel 36 said they were not aware the new containers were equipped with the electronic transmitter.
"It’s information that indicates how you live your life, including something as simple as garbage disposal," said homeowner Scott Broyles. "I think at the very least you ought to be informed of that ahead of time."
Other viewers have e-mailed NewsChannel 36 with similar concerns.
"“It sounds like big brother will be watching," wrote one viewer. "I am already a recycler and do not need the city government to look over my shoulder.”
"It feels like an invasion of privacy,” said another viewer.
Collis said the transmitters cannot monitor the type of materials which are placed in the recycling bin and none of the data collected by the city will be made public.
The recycling record of individual homes will not be tracked by Solid Waste Services, Collis said.
Nancy Carter, vice-chairman of city council's environmental committee, said residents should not be concerned about data collected by Solid Waste Services.
City-issued trash containers have serial numbers which are linked to an address, Carter said, and that information has not been compromised.
"We have not spread it," she said. "We have not broadcast it. We have not used it illegally. We have not informed anyone of your patterns."
Commissioners voted unanimously to change their approach to Jones' compensation Tuesday night. But the message taxpayers might have taken away isn't the whole story.
Commissioners emphasized that they were eliminating Jones' bonus. And they emphasized that his total compensation would drop 6.6 percent - a decline, Democratic commissioner Dumont Clarke said, that "would exceed the reductions of most other county employees."
A deeper look suggests something less sacrificial.
Jones' total compensation coming in to 2009-10 was $264,454, plus whatever "at-risk" pay, if any, commissioners would award him. His total compensation for next year will be $283,011, with no eligibility for a bonus. So in a year when Jones and commissioners are cutting millions from schools, parks, libraries and other areas, Jones' total compensation before "at-risk" pay is rising $18,557, or 7 percent.
Jones, in essence, traded "at-risk" pay, which could be up to 30 percent of his base pay but could also be zero, for an additional $18,557 that is not at-risk, but guaranteed.
In other words, the only reason county commissioners can say that Jones is taking a 6.6 percent pay cut for next year is because they awarded him a lavish $38,400 bonus amid severe budget cuts to county services and when one of his largest departments, the Department of Social Services, was marred by financial mismanagement. He should not have gotten that bonus. And if he had not, the commissioners' actions Tuesday would be considered a raise, not a cut.
More than half of the 6.6 percent drop in his compensation stems from the elimination of his 401(k) match, which simply means that he will play under the same rules as every other county employee, who will see their 401(k) matches vaporized as well.
Democratic commissioner Dan Murrey said it was ironic that Jones was taking a $20,000 cut "in probably the toughest year you've had to do your job." What's ironic, or just disingenuous, is that Jones could be made out to be sacrificing when the compensation he's guaranteed to get is shooting up while that of other county employees is going down.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg County commissioners agreed Tuesday to change the way they pay County Manager Harry Jones, including eliminating performance bonuses from future compensation packages.
Under his previous contract, Jones had been eligible for a performance bonus of up to 30 percent of his base pay.
He has been criticized often in the past year for a $38,400 bonus that commissioners approved last year amid budget cuts to county services and other agencies.
In lieu of a bonus - which commissioners also have called "at-risk" pay the past two years - Jones' base salary could change each year based on the "prevailing market rate" for his position.
For the year that begins July 1, Jones' base pay will increase to $242,500 from the $215,655 he received this year.
But his total compensation will go down about 6.6percent compared to the current year, dropping to $283,011. Commissioner Dumont Clarke said the decline "would exceed the reductions of most other county employees."
In addition, Clarke said Jones also will receive no match to his 401(k) plan, mirroring a hit taken by other county employees.
Several commissioners noted that Jones had requested that his compensation be reduced this year. Dan Murrey said the change was "by no means an indication of our assessment of (Jones') performance."
He said it was ironic that the manager had seen no change in his salary the past two years, but is now taking a $20,000 cut in his compensation "in probably the toughest year you've had to do your job."
At a time when Mecklenburg County is forced to cut almost 200 jobs from its Park and Recreation Department, the county budget sets aside $60,000 to plan a park that it cannot afford to build.
The NewsChannel 36 I-Team found Mecklenburg County set aside $2 million in a one-of-a-kind deal to build the park on property owned by a church, Friendship Missionary Baptist Church on Beatties Ford Road.
Few debate that the county could use more ball fields along Beatties Ford Road. But some fiscal conservatives have questioned how the church won the one-of-a-kind deal and why it is still funded in a time of sharp cutbacks.
Former Charlotte City Councilman Don Reid is one.
"I don't know how we can invest taxpayer money on a piece of property owned by a church," said Reid, who calls the process used to award the park "a good ole boy network again."
But Reid's so-called "good ole boy" network included an up-and-coming woman -- Mary E. Wilson.
Since the summer of 2008 Wilson has served as the director of Mecklenburg County's Department of Social Services. And the I-Team has raised questions about Wilson mixing state funds with her church -- Friendship Missionary Baptist.
In December 2008, Wilson spent $20,000 of public funds on caterers, entertainment and door prizes for a holiday party for all 1,200 DSS staff held at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. When questioned, a DSS spokeswoman said the county did not pay for the use of the church facility. She said it had been paid for by an anonymous donor.
But before her county job, Wilson earned more than $86,000 a year as the executive director of Friendship's Community Development Corporation.
And as executive director in 2006 she helped the church pitch its park plan to the county's Park and Recreation Commission. But in the summer of 2006, Wilson joined the very same Park and Rec Commission.
"Connect the dots," said Reid. "Friendship Baptist Church. Mary Wilson. Mary Wilson goes to the park board and the board then decides to fund the church's project."
Wilson abstained from voting on the Friendship Sportsplex and did not participate in discussion at the board meeting where the board approved the park. Experts in state conflict of interest law at the UNC School of Government tell the I-Team that Wilson apparently did not violate any rule or law.
"Personally, I wouldn't allow that to happen," said Park Director Jim Garges, who joined the department after the Friendship Park had passed the board but before it passed the County Commission. "There wasn't anything she (Wilson) did or anything I was aware of I would consider a conflict of interest."
But e-mails obtained by the I-Team show Wilson advocated for the park in March 2008 when it was pending before the County Commission.
When Park Commissioner Brad Pearce e-mailed staff that he was frustrated with the lack of information about the Friendship park, a project which he supported, it was Wilson who responded in less than an hour.
"Let's be reasonable and work together," Wilson wrote. "I am sensing a less than positive partnership tone."
While they may have had their differences on the way the park was handled, Pearce now says he believes Wilson handled her conflict of interest appropriately.
"Certainly no one at the church ever contacted me and asked for special treatment," Pearce said.
The I-Team tried to reach Wilson last week and this week through a county spokesman and by leaving a message on her cell phone. She did not return repeated calls.
But in a church with thousands of members, Wilson was not the only one with political clout.
County General Manager Bobbie Shields, who oversees the Park and Recreation Department, is also a member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church.
But County Manager Harry Jones tells the I-Team that Shields turned over all control of the park awards to another general manager, John McGillicuddy. And Garges and Pearce both say Shields had no impact on the decision to locate the park at the church.
"Bobbie Shields had no influence over that decision," said Pearce.
"And, if anything, particularly with Bobbie, he went the other way -- 'Don't show me. Don't tell me. I don't want to know anything about it,'" said Garges.
(Some viewers have written that Harry Jones is also a member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church but Jones told the I-Team he is not a member of the church.)
Under the terms of the lease agreement between Mecklenburg County and Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, the county leases the land for 40 years for the sum of $1, with the county retaining the right to renew the lease for another 40 years. The county agrees to build ball fields on the property. And the church gets first dibs on selling any concessions at no cost, keeping all the proceeds.
Most county parks sit on county land. Here and there Mecklenburg County has a boat ramp on Duke Energy property. The county once placed a track on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University. But for the most part, county planners envision putting parks on public land.
And when voters OK'd a public bond issue for parks in 2004, the Park and Recreation Commission anticipated allocating $8 million for joint public-private partnerships, but that the parks would be placed on county land.
In the case of two of the three winning projects, for the towns of Huntersville and Matthews, the parks went on public land. But in the case of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, the county entered into a unique lease.
Garges says Friendship was chosen because it had land available for a park and "If anybody else wants a park, give us a call."
But the county doesn't even have the money to build the Friendship Park, let alone take on new parks.
In a time of budget cutbacks, cutting about four out of every 10 park and rec employees, the new county budget contains a capital expense of $60,000 for this year and next to plan for the Friendship park, even though the county does not have the money to build it.
While its true Susan Burgess was a hardworking citizen and a strong political figure, as it relates to what she REALLY did for Charlotte's Black Community other than gather their votes, that part of her legacy is questionable and remains a mystery.
(North Carolina's Black Voters are notorious for endorsing White Politicians who never really will invest in the Black Community. i.e., Bev Perdue, Elaine Marshall)
Considering how seriously ill she was before dying, I truly hope Susan rests in peace but I also pray that now Charlotte can begin to move forward away from Racial Discrimination and Segregation.
Longtime Charlotte City Council member Susan Burgess died Wednesday morning after battling colorectal cancer for more than three years.
Mayor Anthony Foxx has ordered flags at city buildings fly at half-staff in honor of Burgess.
The Burgess family called Foxx early Wednesday morning, letting him know about her death. She died at her home at about 6:25 a.m. Her husband, Pat, and her children were at her side.
"The Charlotte community mourns the loss of one of the strongest, most courageous public servants we have ever known in Susan Burgess," Foxx said in a statement. "She has left an indelible mark throughout our community in public education, arts and culture, housing, the environment and countless other ways. She battled cancer by refusing to be bound by it, maintaining her zest for living and her desire to keep serving others. I will miss my great friend and send heartfelt condolences to her family."
Gov. Bev Perdue released this statement on Burgess' death: "Susan Burgess was a remarkable woman. She loved her family and her friends, and she was passionate about making Charlotte the Queen City of America. She worked tirelessly for what was right and never let the word 'no' keep her from doing what she believed in. We will all miss her strength and her leadership, but what I will miss most of all is the woman who wasn’t afraid to fight -- and who was my friend for many years."
Burgess' funeral will be held Saturday at the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Dilworth. The service is scheduled to begin at noon.
Burgess, 64, made her last public appearance June 7 at a City Council meeting in which her colleagues and friends gave her a rousing standing ovation.
"With a great deal of personal sadness, I must resign my seat on the Charlotte City Council," Burgess said during that meeting.
Her parting words were a goodbye and reminder of the full life that she lived.
"I'm happy. I'm happy for all of the blessings that I have received and I just don't think there could be a more blessed person on the face of the earth," Burgess said.
Married to her high school sweetheart for more than 40 years, Burgess had four children and six grandchildren.
Much of her life in Charlotte was spent in the public eye. She served on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board, starting in 1990. From 1995 to 1997, she was chairwoman.
In 1999, Burgess announced her plans to run for City Council as an at-large candidate. She served one term and then in 2001, made a unsuccessful run for mayor.
She was back on City Council in 2003 and elected mayor pro tem.
Outside the government center, Burgess was a passionate member of the Democratic Party in Charlotte with ties to some of its highest profile members.
She was an outspoken part of the movement to make public places smoke-free, founder of the organization Smoke Free Charlotte.
Burgess announced she had colorectal cancer in February 2007, had surgery and began chemotherapy.
Her friends and colleagues at the government center say she never eased up.
"Just amazed all of us the whole time," said Mayor Anthony Foxx.
In May, Burgess announced her plans to stop her therapy and begin hospice care. Even with death so imminent, she attended whatever meetings she could. She was inducted into the Order of the Hornet -- the city's highest honor -- at the beginning of June.
"Those who don't always agree with her have to admire her," said Council member Andy Dulin.
Burgess was presented the Mayor's Award in Honor of Richard Vinroot at her final council meeting.
"Thank you, and God bless you," Foxx said.
UNC Charlotte has established the Susan M. Burgess Fellowship in Public Administration to honor Burgess. Contributions to the fellowship can be made through the UNC Charlotte Foundation website at https://giving.uncc.edu
Click on the "make a gift" link or mail contributions to the UNC Charlotte Foundation, 9201 University City Boulevard, Charlotte, N.C. 28223.
Susan Burgess resigned from her At-Large seat last week, citing her battle with terminal cancer. She had asked that her son be named to complete her term, which expires at the end of next year.
In an 8-2 vote by council members Monday evening, Jason Burgess, a vascular surgeon, was named to the At-Large seat.
Council members Warren Cooksey and Warren Turner voted against the appointment. They had questioned the need to fill the vacant spot just seven days after the resignation of a 9-year council veteran.
Burgess was one of 24 people who applied for the council job. Applicants had to be a registered Democrat, live in the city limit, and could not have a felony conviction.
Some council members suggested all applicants should have an opportunity to address city leaders before a decision was made on Burgess' vacant seat.
"They haven't had a voice," said council member Andy Dulin prior to Monday's vote. "They haven’t had a way to come down and talk to us."
Jason Burgess, along with two other applicants, Svend Deal and Nancy Bowen Wiggins, spoke in a hearing open to all candidates before the decision.
Deal said he had known Burgess since middle school when the two were sports competitors.
"If you don't choose him, I think I'm your best candidate," Deal said.
Wiggins said she was concerned Burgess' appointment to his mother's former seat would leave just two women, Nancy Carter and Patsy Kinsey on the 12-member council.
A swearing-in ceremony for Burgess was planned for Tuesday.
Despite no previous experience in local government, Burgess said he felt his mother had prepared him to serve as a city leader.
"Mom and I have talked about a lot of these things around the dinner table ," Burgess told NewsChannel 36. "Hopefully I’ll come to the same conclusions that she would have. I think that’s why she’s chosen me."
During tonight's Charlotte City Council meeting Jason Burgess, son of terminally ill & long time Public Servant Susan Burgess, was specially appointed to fill his mother's seat.
This process occurred even after 24 applicants several of them equally qualified as Jason, submitted applications for consideration.
Council members Warren Cooksey (R) and Warren Turner (D) both suggested delaying the appointment process for one week than voting, however their motion was voted down.
James Mitchell (political hack and "yes" man) eagerly offered up the motion to quickly appoint Jason Burgess tonight.
The rest as they say "is history".
Councilman Patrick Cannon (D) was voted to become new Charlotte Mayor Pro Tem.
Cannon also served as Mayor Pro Tem with former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory.
Oh well I guess the Democratic process doesn't mean anything to Charlotte Voters.
In other "We the people" doesn't mean squat to Charlotte City Council members.
Folks I urge you to remember how your voice didn't count when it times to re-elect a new council in November 2011.
The Charlotte City Council will decide tonight who will replace Mayor Pro Tem Susan Burgess.
Burgess has been battling cancer for more than three years and is currently in hospice care. She resigned from her position last week.
Burgess has told council members she would like her son, Jason, to fill her seat until her term is over in 2011.
According to city law, Burgess' replacement must be at least 21 years old, must be from the same political party -- a Democrat -- and must live within city limits.
At least two dozen other people have submitted applications for the spot.
Councilmember Andy Dulin told NewsChannel 36 he wants to make sure everyone who submitted an application is given a fair chance to take the spot.
"My suggestion to the council tonight, and I hope they listen to me, is that we delay for one week and we give the 24 that signed up to replace her the opportunity to come down for comment just like we've always done before," Dulin said.
Dulin said if the council votes tonight, it appears that Burgess' son will get the votes needed to fill her seat.
During tonight's Charlotte City Council meeting Jason Burgess, son of terminally ill & long time Public Servant Susan Burgess, was specially appointed to fill his mother's seat.
This process occurred even after 24 applicants several of them equally qualified as Jason, submitted applications for consideration.
Council members Warren Cooksey (R) and Warren Turner (D) both suggested delaying the appointment process for one week than voting, however their motion was voted down.
James Mitchell (political hack and "yes" man) eagerly offered up the motion to quickly appoint Jason Burgess tonight.
The rest as they say "is history".
Councilman Patrick Cannon (D) was voted to become new Charlotte Mayor Pro Tem.
Cannon also served as Mayor Pro Tem with former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory.
Oh well I guess the Democratic process doesn't mean anything to Charlotte Voters.
In other "We the people" doesn't mean squat to Charlotte City Council members.
Folks I urge you to remember how your voice didn't count when it times to re-elect a new council in November 2011.
Whatever happened to "We The People?"
With all due respect to terminally ill former Mayor Pro Tem Susan Burgess, she is NOT Ted Kennedy! In fact Mrs. Burgess doesn't even come close!
If Charlotte City Council members have already decided to select Susan's son Jason, will it hurt them to at least give the other 23 applicants a fair chance or hear them out?
Apparent misuse of the process to replace a Charlotte City Council member stinks to high heaven!
I can hardly wait until 2011 when current council members (most of them) will hopefully be voted out. Unless of course those Straight Ticket Voters from Beatties Ford rd keeps these "Political Dictators" in public office for another decade.
Let us pray people. Let us pray.
Check out the video and article below which reveals that Jason Burgess may indeed be stepping in to fill her dying mother's shoes regardless of what Charlotte Voters want.
Here's a word to the wise: Vote Responsibly in 2011!
The Charlotte City Council will decide tonight who will replace Mayor Pro Tem Susan Burgess.
Burgess has been battling cancer for more than three years and is currently in hospice care. She resigned from her position last week.
Burgess has told council members she would like her son, Jason, to fill her seat until her term is over in 2011.
According to city law, Burgess' replacement must be at least 21 years old, must be from the same political party -- a Democrat -- and must live within city limits.
At least two dozen other people have submitted applications for the spot.
Councilmember Andy Dulin told NewsChannel 36 he wants to make sure everyone who submitted an application is given a fair chance to take the spot.
"My suggestion to the council tonight, and I hope they listen to me, is that we delay for one week and we give the 24 that signed up to replace her the opportunity to come down for comment just like we've always done before," Dulin said.
Dulin said if the council votes tonight, it appears that Burgess' son will get the votes needed to fill her seat.
Folks I've just read an article published by the Charlotte Observer (nickname: "Charlotte Disturber") which states Charlotte City Council members voted NOT to give City Employees a raise including Police & Firefighters, but will instead give millions of dollars to the County.
How is it that last fall Charlotte City Council members voted to give City Manager Curt Walton & City Attorney Mac McCarley FAT raises (totaling $31,000) but yet can't come to terms about granting City employees well-deserved raises when they haven't had a Cost of Living increase in several years?
And why are City officials giving the County money when they have wasted so much in the past?
Raises for City of Charlotte employees could be cut for the upcoming fiscal year, with the money possibly placed in contingency or given to Charlotte-Mecklenburg County to stave off steep cuts to libraries and schools.
Six City Council members - of 10 who attended a workshop Wednesday - voted to consider not giving the raises, which would cost the city $6.1million.
Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, a Democrat, said that he's uncomfortable giving even modest 2 percent raises when hundreds of teachers could be laid off and libraries closed.
The city isn't responsible for funding libraries or Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
"I think we need to think about those net reductions," Foxx said. "Will they have a permanent impact?"
In his concern about raises, Foxx was joined by the council's Republican minority.
Republican council member Warren Cooksey proposed not giving the raises and then giving Charlotte residents a small decrease in property taxes - equal to $5 annual savings on a house with a $200,000 tax value. Cooksey said it was important to give some money back to residents, who will probably face increases in their fixed rates for water and sewer usage.
Cooksey's proposal didn't receive enough votes to move forward.
But Republican Edwin Peacock's proposal to cut the raises and place the money in contingency did get six votes - Republicans Cooksey, Peacock and Andy Dulin, and Democrats Patrick Cannon, Michael Barnes and Nancy Carter. Foxx's proposal to give the county one-time financial help will be discussed under that plan.
Carter is a staunch proponent of giving city employees a pay increase. She's worried that their cost of living is going up, due to having to pay higher health insurance premiums. But she voted with the five for a "discussion."
The city's budget is in much better shape than Mecklenburg County's. That's due, in part, to the city being more conservative as to how much debt it assumed. At the start of the budget process earlier this year, the city had a shortfall of roughly $10 million in a $500 million operating budget.
City Manager Curt Walton proposed a number of small cuts, such as reducing the staffing hours at the 311 call center and suspending installation of new streetlights.
The city also proposed giving employees a raise, in part because the private sector is beginning to rebound and some companies are giving raises again.
Dulin said he didn't think the city would be at a competitive disadvantage if it didn't give raises for fiscal 2011 after not giving them in fiscal 2010.
"I don't agree we will lose employees," he said. "I can't support pay raises for them now."
Help for libraries
Facing a possible $17 million cut, the cash-strapped library system has proposed that local municipalities chip in to close to deficit.
Foxx proposed that the city could put up a certain amount of money and ask that the county's other towns match its efforts. He said it would be like a "challenge grant."
He said the money wouldn't necessarily have to come from the same pot of money saved by not giving raises. He said the city could shift money from capital funds.
It's unclear if there is political support for such a plan.
Council members Carter, Patsy Kinsey, David Howard and Susan Burgess were strong advocates Wednesday of giving raises.
Said Burgess: "Libraries are a county function, not a city function. It's not fair to the people of Charlotte."
Peacock countered that residents have trouble differentiating between city and county government.
"People view us as one," Peacock said. "They don't know that this is a county library. They just know that they are picking up a book. I support the mayor's idea on this."
The council will discuss Foxx's and Peacock's proposals May 26 when it takes straw votes on items for the budget, which will be approved in June.
Charlotte City Manager Curt Walton this summer cut pay raises and merit-based bonuses for city employees due to the recession.
On Monday night, the Charlotte City Council awarded Walton a $16,000 bonus, and the city manager accepted.
Council members said they were pleased with how Walton has navigated the city through the economic downturn. But Democrat Michael Barnes and Republican Mayor Pat McCrory voted against the pay package because of the bonus.
"I thought he did a very good job - I told him that," said Barnes. "But I didn't think it was right to pay out bonuses. My concern is that there are a lot of people struggling. It would be beneficial for us to show restraint."
McCrory, who is allowed to vote in personnel matters, said Walton did a good job.
"But I was opposed to the bonus because of the economic circumstances in the public and private sector," McCrory said.
Walton, whose evaluation was approved Monday for work in the previous 12 months, will see his total pay remain the same as a year ago. He will receive a salary of $200,312 and the $16,000 bonus, based on his 2008-09 performance.
But a number of city employees whose evaluations also came after July are seeing their pay decrease. The city awarded 314 bonuses, or merit payments, between July 2008 and May 2009 for a total of nearly $400,000. As the financial crisis deepened last year, the city froze positions and cut back on travel and other expenses. The city decided against stopping merit bonus payments in the middle of the fiscal year to avoid punishing employees who had later review dates.
Typically, most city employees can receive up to 8 percent of their salary as a merit-based raise, a bonus, or a combination of the two. When the new fiscal year began in July, Walton said he would recommend stopping the bonuses due to the downturn.
Human Resources Director Tim Mayes, for instance, was paid a salary of $149,555 for 2008-09 as well as a merit bonus of $14,955. For this fiscal year, Mayes will receive only his base salary.
He said Walton was given a bonus by council members because of an "understanding" that's been in place for five years.
"(Council members and the city manager) liken the one-time payment as the first cousin to base pay," Mayes said. "It's not contractually based, but there is a good faith understanding between them."
Mayes said in an e-mail that cutting the bonus would reduce the manager's pay, which would be "inappropriate."
Walton was out of town Tuesday and couldn't be reached for comment. A city spokesperson, Kim McMillan, said Walton declined to talk about his evaluation because state law allows those discussions to take place in private.
In a June Observer story, Walton said he wanted to cut all the city's bonuses temporarily except for a program that allows employees to share in savings when their department or division is a low bidder on a contract. The story didn't address whether Walton planned to not accept any bonus council members might approve.
City attorney Mac McCarley is also paid by the council and is eligible for a bonus.
Mayor-elect Anthony Foxx, a Democrat, voted for Walton's pay package.
"There was a lot of discussion about that issue," Foxx said. "The decision was that as part of the package that the city manager has, if certain targets are met, that's part of the compensation. It wasn't done without debate."
Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones accepted a $38,400 bonus earlier this month. His total compensation of $254,055 remains the same as last year.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Peter Gorman turned down his bonus this summer, and eliminated bonuses for principals and teachers. CMS said the reductions saved $1million.
Council member Patsy Kinsey, a Democrat who voted for Walton's bonus, said she believes Walton received it because it was based on his performance for fiscal year 2008-09 - making it unrelated, she believed, to one-time payments that have been "frozen" for the fiscal year 2009-2010.
That isn't correct, according to the timeline outlined by Mayes. All city employees whose evaluations fell after July 1 of this year are ineligible for pay increases except Walton and McCarley.
The Charlotte City Council voted Monday night to give City Attorney Mac McCarley a $15,000 bonus - a controversial decision that comes in a year when city employees aren't receiving bonuses.
Council members a week ago gave City Manager Curt Walton a $16,000 bonus, the same amount he received a year ago. Walton had earlier this year stopped all raises and merit-based bonuses for city employees due to the recession. The council voted 7-5 to give McCarley his bonus. Democrat Michael Barnes and Republican Mayor Pat McCrory were the only "no" votes against Walton's bonus, and they voted against McCarley's as well.
They were joined Monday by Democrats Warren Turner, James Mitchell and Mayor-elect Anthony Foxx. Turner had missed last week's vote on Walton's bonus.
Republican Warren Cooksey voted for both bonuses, and said Monday night he supported them because they were for work done in fiscal year 2008-09, which ended June 30. Walton has cut raises for employees receiving evaluations after July of this year.
When asked if he will accept his bonus, McCarley said "of course." When asked if he won't accept a bonus next year, he said he wouldn't speculate. Walton also said last week in an e-mail that he would not speculate on whether he will accept a bonus for 2009-10.
McCrory, in his last meeting as mayor, said McCarley did "outstanding" work for the city in the last year. But he said he couldn't support the bonus due to the economy.
McCarley's base salary will remain at $175,781. Walton's base salary of $200,312 is the same as he received a year ago. The city manager and the city attorney are the two city salaries set by council.
In other action, council members voted 7-4 to approve spending $630,000 on a smart traffic-control system for Pineville-Matthews Road that's designed to ensure traffic flows on the busy highway.
The item didn't appear to be controversial, but it touched off a heated debate over District 7 member Cooksey's opposition.
Cooksey, a Republican, said he was voting against the item because it's being paid for with federal stimulus dollars. He said he believes it's wrong to pay for these and other projects with money that will place the nation deeper into debt.
Cooksey's statement prompted Mayor Pro Tem Susan Burgess, a Democrat, to question why the rest of the council should support the item, because N.C. 51 is almost entirely in Cooksey's south Charlotte district.
Democrat Michael Barnes continued that line of thought: "If a district rep doesn't believe it's in his best interest to support it, why should the rest of the city?"
Republican John Lassiter, at his last meeting, accused Burgess and Barnes of potentially acting "vindictively" to punish residents near the highway, which Lassiter said he drives frequently. He described it as a "personal assault."
Cooksey said he believes that council districts are to ensure geographic diversity, and that his vote isn't only for his 100,000 residents.
Cooksey wasn't put in the position of voting for the project or losing it. Barnes and Democrats Warren Turner and James Mitchell also voted against it, but it passed with seven votes.
Council members approved its federal lobbying agenda, which included a stance against collective bargaining for police and firefighters.
A bill being considered in Congress would allow for collective bargaining for public safety officials in all states, including those that forbid it, such as North Carolina.
McCrory pushed his colleagues to come out against collective bargaining, saying it would increase costs to taxpayers.
Council members also voted 10-1 to authorize Walton to begin making long-term investments in the stock market with up to $150 million - up to 10 percent of the city's investments.
The N.C. General Assembly in 2007 gave Charlotte and other large N.C. cities and counties the right to invest in the market, with the hope of getting higher returns than safer investments such as bonds.
The city has said it would invest $35 million initially and then $8 million a month.
Barnes voted against the investments.
"This is our entry into the stock market," Barnes said. "I don't believe we need to do that."
In another indication that the rancor and dust have not settled between county budget cutters and their cuttees, County Manager Harry “Bonus Baby” Jones used the venue of a Ballantyne Breakfast Club community meeting Saturday to slam the library board.
Jones told the Ballantyne group that the library board should never have proposed closing half its branches after it was confronted with the need for large cuts in the library system’s budget.
Jones also said the board should not have responded to the public outcry about closing libraries by telling citizens to direct their complaints to the county commission.
Jones’ comments came about 10 days after Schools Superintendent Peter Gorman, while announcing that he and his top aides were forgoing bonuses, reminded everyone that his actions were “unlike other government bodies’” practices — a none-too-subtle slap at Jones, who took a $38,000 bonus after cutting county jobs and denying raises to other county employees.
Jones’ comments may be meant to remind the library board who’s king of the county, but there are a couple of little problems King Harry should consider.
First, local citizens have much more respect for the folks who run one of the nation’s finest library systems (or at least it was until the current budget fiasco) than they’ve ever had for him.
Second, if the library board acted peevishly by referring complainers to the county commission, you frankly can’t blame them.
We’ve noted this before, but it bears repeating until it sinks in with Jones’ bosses on the commission: Much of the current community angst over library and school cuts is due to the way Jones (and the financial wizards he hired to keep up with the county’s money) waited until the last possible minute to tell the library and CMS to gut their budgets.
The reason for the delay? Oh, well, Jones & Co. didn’t realize that revenue was going to be so much lower than expected — who’d-a thought that was possible in a deep recession, huh? — and they kept thinking the numbers would get better, so they waited and waited and waited.
The upshot was that the schools and libraries were blindsided by Jones’ demand for massive cuts, which had to be decided on within a matter of days.
In most places, Jones & Co.’s actions would be considered incompetent. Here, he gets to go around talking crap about those he blindsided. But who are we to comment? It’s King Harry’s county; we just live in it.
This is the statement released by Susan Burgess early Monday afternoon:
"I always have striven to be open and honest in all that I say and do. Accordingly, I publicly announced my cancer diagnosis over three years ago, and today I am announcing that the caring and competent team of Hospice and Palliative Care of Charlotte is now managing my treatment. My wonderful doctors have done all that is possible to contain my cancer, yet it continues to grow and spread.
"I have every intention of fulfilling my duties as Mayor Pro Tem and continuing my commitment to the people of Charlotte. The reality, however, is that I no longer have the energy to go and be as I always have been and will now focus my efforts on core responsibilities of the Council. I know there will be activities I no longer have the strength to pursue, and I hope everyone will understand there will be times when I will need to say ‘no,’ or I must turn down invitations. I will do my best not to let anyone down.
"I have been blessed with a loving family, with caring friends, with an indomitable spirit, and with an incredible opportunity to be of service to the citizens of the City I love. I count these blessings every day, and I appreciate every minute that I am allowed to enjoy them. If the days of those blessings are to be cut shorter than I might hope, I want you to treat me as always. It will be easier for you and for me. I can honestly say, I have not shed a tear since my diagnosis but have focused instead on being a fighter and living my life.
"I hope that my friends, colleagues and constituents will share in my joy for these bountiful blessings; that we will celebrate what has been and the potential of what is yet to be. As the poet wrote, ‘Life is short, and time is fleeting…,’ I would hate to waste it with what-might-have-been. Instead, I hope we will move forward resolutely together, always looking toward the future.
Charlotte City Council member and Mayor Pro Tem Susan Burgess said Monday her cancer is spreading and that she is under the care of Hospice.
Burgess, a 63-year-old Democrat, underwent surgery in February 2007 for colorectal cancer and received chemotherapy treatments afterwards. She remained on city council and won re-election last November.
“My wonderful doctors have done all that is possible to contain my cancer, yet it continues to grow and spread,” Burgess said in a statement released early Monday afternoon by city officials.
She said she has “every intention” of completing her two year term on council but asked residents to be understanding of her condition.
“The reality … is that I no longer have the energy to go and be as I always have been – and will now focus my efforts on core responsibilities of the council,” she said.
In the statement, Burgess said she is now under the care of Hospice and Palliative Care of Charlotte.
In its mission statement, Hospice and Palliative Care of Charlotte says it provides support services for patients with an expected life span of “six months or less, if the illness takes its anticipated course.”
Burgess, a West Virginia native, is among Charlotte’s longest-serving public officials. She was a Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board member for seven years before winning election to Charlotte City Council in 1999. She ran for mayor in 2001 but finished second in a three-way race in the Democratic primary. Ella Scarborough, who won the primary, then lost to Republican Pat McCrory in the general election.
Burgess returned to elected office in 2003, winning a city council race. She was re-elected in 2005, 2007 and 2009.
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