The event will be a kickoff event to a planned series of similar talks Mecklenburg County staff are organizing with neighborhoods and other community groups.

See the meeting live

The purpose is to inform Mecklenburg residents about the current conditions as the County begins planning its budget for next fiscal year, and receive input from residents on what is most important to them in terms of County-funded services.  Information gathered at the meetings will be provided to County Manager Harry Jones for consideration in developing a recommended budget for Fiscal Year 2012 (FY12) that begins in June 2011. The information will also be available to the Board of County Commissioners as it adopts the FY12 budget.

The kickoff meeting is being hosted by FreeMoreWest Partners at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 24 at Charlotte School of Law, 2145 Suttle Ave. Scheduled to speak are Harry L. Jones Sr., County manager; Hyong Yi, County budget director; Jennifer Roberts, chairman of the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners; George Dunlap, District 3 commissioner; and Chris Wannamaker, FreeMoreWest Partners.  The meeting is open to the public, but RSVPs are requested due to limited seating. To RSVP, please e-mail Sophia.Hollingsworth@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

The FreeMoreWest (FMW) community is one of Charlotte’s latest neighborhoods in renewal near uptown, and encompasses Enderly Park, Wesley Heights, Camp Greene, and Ashley Park, Marlborough Woods and Bryant Park, and is centered on the intersection of West Morehead Street and Freedom Drive and includes businesses along each road.

Other Mecklenburg County meetings with community groups are still being organized. For more information or to host a meeting of County leaders at a civic, church, or businesses meeting, contact Brian Gott at 704-621-1808.