During the Action Preview portion of last night’s Charlotte City Council meeting, airport staff members provided a brief presentation of the proposed Airline Use and Lease Agreement at CLT. Following the information download, Mayor Rob Harrington informed the Council he had made a referral to the Budget, Governance, and Intergovernmental Relations Committee to explore the legal framework currently in place on procurement policies and initiatives that the City of Charlotte can use to encourage and prioritize businesses that provide sustainable employment for their employees. After this announcement, he provided each councilmember time to make comments and ask additional questions.
Following the discussion, Councilmember Ajmera made a motion to allow for an additional six-week review period of the lease. A second was made by Councilmember Mazuera Arias, and a vote was tallied with the following result:
Following the passage of the motion, Mayor Harrington vetoed the measure and committed to working with the City Manager, CLT, and Council to develop a schedule for approval.
My Take: Good grief. Why are we succumbing to political theater on a matter that is so intrinsically linked to the prosperity of the residents of our regional community? Hats off to Mayor Harrington for being a voice of reason. Staff has been working on this lease agreement for two years. The carriers that are signatories to the lease — most especially American Airlines — have and will continue to make significant investments in infrastructure and are a vital part of the community fabric. Message to Council: Trust your staff and please agree to the lease and move on.
We’ll be in touch as this matter moves through the process and will let you know what YOU can do to make a difference.
Earlier today I had an opportunity to attend a transportation briefing sponsored by the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance. Following a welcome from host David Longo, Founder & CEO of CBI Workplace Solutions, followed by a greeting from Deputy City Manager Brent Cagle, the program commenced with presentations from the following individuals:
My Take: It was great to hear from David Howard about the MPTA and the ongoing engagement from authority members. By July 1 of 2027, the authority should be completely staffed up and the separation from the City of Charlotte should be complete. Funds were being collected beginning on July 1 of this year.
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