REBIC – Charlotte Council Unanimously Passes 150-Day Data Center Moratorium

From REBIC - 6/9/2026

During last night’s meeting of the Charlotte City Council several significant decisions were made. As was anticipated, council unanimously passed a 150-day moratorium on new data center development. This action came two weeks after a rancorous public hearing on the matter. REBIC expressed our opposition to the moratorium in correspondence sent to Charlotte City Council June 5, 2026. Staff has indicated a stakeholder group will be formed to develop recommendations for further action.

Also approved during the meeting was the nearly $4.5 billion dollar City of Charlotte Fiscal Year 2027 operating budget and Fiscal Year 2027-2031 Capital Investment Plan. Included in the budget is a 1.89-cent property tax increase that establishes a $25 minimum wage for city workers and provides 10% pay increases for police and firefighters. The budget also includes a raise for Members of the Charlotte City Council and the Mayor beginning in 2027. The vote was 9-2 with Councilmembers Driggs and Mayfield casting “no” votes.

The council also received a presentation on Red Light Cameras with staff proposing a one-year pilot program to install traffic cameras at ten high-risk intersections. The full council will consider that matter for a vote at an upcoming business meeting.

Rob’s Take: In addition to the news above I want to point out something that has flown below the radar; something we shouldn’t miss. A new procedure was adopted that allows an item to be placed on the agenda now with only 4 votes. Previously it took a majority of councilmembers to bring an item for consideration. To me this is a concerning. We are allowing power to be diverted to a small number of councilmembers who can now bring forward issues that may be priorities for some residents but not for the vast majority. With the many significant challenges before us, these distractions use up valuable time and keep the foot in the door of eroding democratic decision making. Council members are not special interest guardians. They are stewards of all constituents and should be focused on big picture items that are begging for the attention of leaders who want to keep all of Charlotte strong.

Also, please consider taking a look at the video from the meeting (2:34:56):
City  Council Business meeting June 8, 2026 – YouTube

While some in the audience were respectful, the vast majority of attendees acted in the same way they had during the May 26th Public Hearing — shouting down anyone, including councilmembers, who remotely disagreed with their position. Council had better get a handle on managing these meetings or things will eventually spin completely out of control.