Over the past few years, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library system has undergone significant changes including the outsourcing of security to Mecklenburg County.

A Mecklenburg County social worker saw a need and decided that, with help from the community, she could provide umbrellas to people who are homeless.

Teams from Mecklenburg County and Carolinas Healthcare System are developing plans for transfer of public health services to County operation.

In response to complaints from community organizations, the Mecklenburg County Health Department has begun a crackdown on illegal food vendors along Beatties Ford Road.

The newly formed Main Library Committee held its first meeting November 14 to investigate the best use of the main library building and property.

Monica R. Allen is the new Performance and Evaluation Manager for Mecklenburg County. Allen, who joined the County in October 2007 as a Management Analyst, will begin her role on Nov. 16, 2011.

Those who are appealing the new value they got for their property during revaluation are asking if they have to pay before before their appeal is decided. The answer is...

Mecklenburg County forecasts that the number of jail and work release inmates will fall below 2,000 in December for the first time since 2003.

View the recently published 2012 Budget Book online for a detailed look at Mecklenburg County's $1.38 billion spending plan.

Fall is almost here, and there’s no better time for the residents of Mecklenburg County to go natural and learn to make rich fertilizer for spring gardening.

County Manager Harry Jones has promoted Leslie Johnson to the position of Associate General Manager. Her appointment is effective Sept. 21, 2011.

Sugaw Creek Recreation Center will host the 14th annual Queen City Amateur Boxing Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011 at 4 p.m.

Influenza Vaccinations available starting Friday, September 9.

Commission Capsule – September 7, 2011

Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds David Granberry is now officially certified. The Certification Board of the North Carolina Association of Registers of Deeds met and approved David Granberry’s application effective Aug. 31, 2011.

Property owners began receiving their real property, business personal property and individual personal property tax bills in the mail this week.

Mecklenburg County Government offices and agencies will be closed on Monday, Sept. 5, 2011 for the Labor Day holiday.

Believe it or not, Mecklenburg County has an active population of coyotes. We have some tips for what to do if you run across one of these wylie critters.

The Board agreed in closed session to purchase more than 240 acres of land in Davidson for future park land at a price of $3.7 million.

The Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services (DSS) has been awarded another year of the North Carolina Job Boost Program grant due to the success from the program over the last fiscal year.

To commemorate the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Mecklenburg County Park and Rec and Hands On Charlotte are partnering to raise money to build a park in Charlotte’s Lincoln Heights neighborhood during the week leading up to Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011.

The Mecklenburg County Tax Collector’s Office has added a new privilege license “search” feature to its online services website.

Volunteers from the American Red Cross are working with Mecklenburg County to staff a cooling station today and tomorrow as temperatures are expected to rise above a 100-degree heat index.

Findings in a review of four separate domestic violence fatalities will help Mecklenburg County as a community understand more about the crime, the victims, the perpetrators and the agencies and organizations working to prevent it.

The Board of County Commissioners voted July 12th to authorize the County Manager to notify the Charlotte Mecklenburg Hospital Authority (Carolinas Healthcare System) that the County is terminating it's agreement effective June 30, 2013.

During this year's legislative session, the general assembly voted to eliminate the NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund (HWTF), which funds obesity and tobacco prevention programs in North Carolina.

Residents on the county’s east side have a new option for getting fresh produce from the farm to their fork and that is an important development to staffers at the Mecklenburg County Health Department.

The Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services (DSS) will change its operating hours starting on Friday, July 1, 2011.

The Board of County Commissioners is holding a special meeting July 12 to discussion the County's partnership with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Hospital Authority.

County Manager Harry L. Jones Sr. was elected president of the North Carolina City & County Management Association on June 25, 2011.

Under a new state law that takes effect July 1, 2011, televisions and computers and related computer equipment will be banned from landfills in North Carolina.

Mecklenburg County government offices and agencies will be closed on Monday, July 4, for Independence Day and open on a normal schedule Tuesday, July 5.

There are more than 50,000 businesses in Mecklenburg County and most are required to have a local “privilege license,” also known as a business license. All business licenses in Mecklenburg County expire on June 30, 2011.

In a local version of a national campaign, Sprite and CBS Radio's K104.7 are collecting green tabs from Sprite cans during June and donating 10 cents for every tab turned in to the Grady Cole Center for improvements.

IKEA Charlotte has announced it would fund a grant request to furnish a new children's area at Child Support Enforcement Office, at 5800 Executive Center Dr # 200, Charlotte.

Double Oaks Community Pool will celebrate Olympic Day on Tuesday, June 21, from noon – 2 p.m.

Mecklenburg County Tax Collector Neal Dixon says 25,224 legal action notices to taxpayers this week included 9,400 to folks who should not have received them.

The Mecklenburg County Tax Assessor’s Office has completed reviewing 32 percent of the informal appeals to the 2011 property revaluation.

Forsite Develoment Inc. has notified Mecklenburg County Land Use and Environmental Services Agency (LUESA) that it plans to scale back the size of the proposed ReVenture Park waste-to-energy plant it has been developing for the western part of the County.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation’s popular “Leisure and Learn” program will offer a Senior Summer Camp for adults ages 55 and older every Thursday in June at William R. Davie Park, 4635 Pineville-Matthews Road.

County budget staff has prepared a budget spreadsheet that allows commissioners to make specific changes to Harry Jones' recommended budget.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department’s outdoor swimming pools and spraygrounds will open for the summer season just in time for Memorial Day weekend!

Mecklenburg County government offices and agencies will be closed on Monday, May 30, 2011 for the Memorial Day holiday.

A special meeting of the Foxhole Landfill Advisory Council was held May 16, 2011, at 7 p.m. at Elon Park Elementary School, 11425 Ardrey Kell Road, Charlotte.

The Board of County Commissioners Education Liaison Committee met with CMS staff and elected officials Tuesday and talked about the County's health commitment to CMS.

The Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services provides an array of services to the community, from foster care coordination, to financial assistance, and beyond.

The Charlotte Knights have asked the County for an extension to September 2012 to begin construction on a minor league baseball stadium in Third Ward.

Jennifer Roberts, Board of County Commissioners chairman, met with U.S. senators and members of the House of Representatives last week and asked them to fully support federal funding and legislative priorities affecting urban counties and communities.

A special meeting of the Foxhole Landfill Advisory Council has been set for May 16, 2011, at 7 p.m. at the Elon Park Elementary School, 11425 Ardrey Kell Road, Charlotte.

The trial Court Administrator and County Information Services & Technology have created an easy way for jurors to handle their summonses.

The Mecklenburg County Area Mental Health Department MeckCARES System of Care program will hold Resilience Fest 2011, a family oriented event at Pearl Street Park on Baxter Street in Uptown Charlotte.

Following the 2010 census, the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education are required to adopt new electoral districts to ensure that population is balanced so each citizen’s vote has equal weight.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department has been named one of four finalist agencies in competition for a 2011 NRPA Gold Medal Award.

County Manager Harry L. Jones Sr. said on Tuesday that he plans to recommend $12.3 million in employee compensation in the budget he will present on May 17, for consideration by the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, along with Catawba Lands Conservancy, the Carolina Thread Trail and the University of North Carolina Charlotte invite the public to the opening celebration of the Ruth G. Shaw Trail on Toby Creek Greenway.

The Board of Equalization & Review is a panel of 15 citizens appointed by the Board of County Commissioners that reviews assessments appealed by property owners.

Mecklenburg County Tax Collector Neal Dixon has been selected the Tax Collector of the Year by the North Carolina Tax Collector’s Association.

Bella DeLaura, a 4 1/2 –year old miniature dachshund, has been chosen as winner of Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department’s 2011 Top Dog Photo Contest.

The public is invited to participate in an interactive forum with Mecklenburg County leaders here on April 27, 2011 to talk about 2012 budget priorities.

Mecklenburg County government offices and agencies will be closed on Friday, April 22, 2011 for the Good Friday holiday.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department is sponsoring the 11th Annual Tots Olympics on Friday, May 13, 2011.

Based on guidance from local, state and federal health officials, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities plans to reduce the amount of fluoride added in tap water.

April is Public Health Month and your Mecklenburg County Health Department is celebrating with special events to highlight the wide array of services available to residents.

Dog lovers may cast votes online April 1 (starting at 8a.m.) through April 17 (until 5p.m.) for the Top Dog of the 2011 Pedigree® Bark in the Park Dog Festival presented by Food Lion.

Got a wheelbarrow load of yard clippings and pulled weeds from the weekend landscaping project? Mecklenburg County has a practical solution for where you can put all that stuff.

Our Children's Memorial Walkway invites anyone grieving the loss of a loved one to the annual spring memorial service on Saturday, April 16, 2011, at 2 p.m.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department offers a wide variety of spring break and out-of-school camps for youth and teens.

Thursday, March 31, 2011, is the last day to apply for a Community Service Grant from Mecklenburg County. The deadline is 5 p.m.

Approximately 5,000 Mecklenburg County residential property owners have received a second notice of property value, causing some confusion. Here is the explanation:

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, in partnership with WPEG Power 98, will hold a “Tech Protect” teen summit at Naomi Drenan Recreation Center on Thurs., April 14 from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

The Board of County Commissioners met March 22 and got an update from staff on the status of three urban parks and the baseball stadium.

Worms aren’t just for bait anymore. With a little encouragement, they can help make your yard the envy of the block.

The Board-appointed Redistricting Advisory Committee met March 22 to work on a process for redrawing County district lines.

Commercial/Condo values to be mailed March 21

The public is invited to participate in an interactive forum with Mecklenburg County leaders to talk about 2012 budget priorities.

Mecklenburg County and its partner and counterpart, Mecklenburg- Vorpommern in Germany are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the coronation of Princess Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz to Queen of Great Britain in 1761.

The Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department invites individuals and groups to “Hike for Habitats” at Reedy Creek Nature Center, 2900 Rocky River Road, on Saturday, March 26, 2011, 10 a.m. – noon.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation invites the public to the first annual “Hoop Jam” on March 19, 2011, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at Albemarle Road Recreation Center, 5027 North Idlewild Road. The event is free.

Jennifer Roberts, Chairman of the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, will be the keynote speaker at the March 17 session of Park and Recreation’s Leisure and Learn series.

The Board's Economic Development Committee met March 8 and heard about an effort to start a micro-loan branch in Charlotte.

The Board was asked by staff to consider opposing two State House bills that would reduce some county control of concealed handguns.

The County Tax Assessor has extended the deadline for appealing new property values until Monday, March 14.

The American Legion Memorial Stadium is presently closed while an engineering firm is being sought to assess the structural integrity of seating areas and to provide recommendations for repairs.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department invites youth ages 8-18 to register now through March 31 for youth boxing fitness classes at Revolution Park Sports Academy.

Everyone gets the itch to do a little spring cleaning around the house when the weather warms up. Why not take it a step further and do your part to do some tidying up in our community?

The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners has given staff some direction about which County services the Board considers most important for the community.

Internet-savvy business taxpayers now have an easy-to-use online option when it’s time to fulfill their tax obligations.

Sign-up your dog for this year’s Top Dog Photo Contest, part of the 2011 Pedigree® Bark in the Park Dog Festival presented by Food Lion on Saturday, April 30.

In March 2011, Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services Senior Citizens Nutrition Program (SCNP) will open a new dine-in site for seniors at the Mallard Creek Park and Recreation Center.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation invites the public to a teen talent showcase, “Get In Where You Fit In,” March 5, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., at Albemarle Road Recreation Center, 5027 North Idlewild Rd.

Mecklenburg County is holding an information for session for nonprofits to learn how the County's Request for Proposal (RFP) system works and how they can get involved.

The public is invited to participate in an interactive forum with Mecklenburg County leaders to talk about the 2012 budget priorities.

At the February 15 County Commission meeting, the Board issued a special statement following a closed session with County Manager Harry Jones.

Mecklenburg County’s Community Support Services plans to open the Homeless Resource Center (HRC) in March 2011 to serve homeless people when there is no place else to go.

The spring 2011 issue of Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation’s Get Going Guide is now available online at www.parkandrec.com.

Warm weather is almost here, and with it comes wheelbarrow loads of landscaping leftovers like grass clippings, hedge trimmings, weeds and other yard wastes.

Select members of the Board of County Commissioners and Board of Education met February 15 to talk about the FY12 budget.

The Charlotte Regional Environmental Network, a group made up of various organizations devoted to environmental issues, sustainability, and nature-based recreation, has created a “Green” calendar.

The Mecklenburg County Community Support Services (CSS) Women’s Commission is reminding people from all walks of life that February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation invites active seniors, ages 50 and over, to a Senior Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Ball, Friday, Feb. 11, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., at Albemarle Road Recreation Center, 5027 North Idlewild Road.

A team of top executives from IBM has studied the process of Joint Capital Master Planning and has made its recommendations.

The Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department invites parents with children ages 4-12 interested in playing baseball to register for the upcoming spring co-ed recreation season. Space is limited, so register early!

More public meetings concerning Mecklenburg County property revaluation have been announced.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation’s Nature Preserves and Natural Resources Division will soon begin a multi-year timber management project that will focus on the removal of loblolly pine trees from several nature preserves.

Mecklenburg County Government continues to make steady progress toward its 2015 vision to make the community “a place of pride and choice for people to live, work and recreate.”

Though the notion of springtime might be only a distant hope right now, it’s the perfect time to start thinking ahead about getting some new trees and shrubs in the ground. Early spring is an ideal time to plant dormant seedlings.

Teens! Have you ever dreamed about becoming a top chef? If so, the Meck Teen Chef All-Stars class is for you.

Mecklenburg County government offices and agencies will be closed on Monday, Jan. 17, 2011 in observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Fuel Pizza Café of Charlotte has partnered with the Mecklenburg County Health Department, the Mecklenburg County Fruit & Vegetable Coalition, and Charlotte Green to bring “Field to Fork” Pizza Gardens to 10 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Environmental health officials for both North and South Carolina say your water is safe to drink, but are recommending that people avoid eating two types of fish found in lakes along Mecklenburg’s western border.

Important improvements to Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement’s Electronic Plan Management (EPM) System are set to go live this week.

The County Board's Natural Resources Committee has approved the concept of managing the loblolly pine forests at County nature preserves.

Notorious for experiencing devastating floods, a portion of the Doral Apartments has now been purchased by Mecklenburg County and will be torn down.