Should Charlotte keep its goal of 50 percent tree canopy by 2050?
Charlotte's canopy has slipped below its 50 by 50 target. Should the city keep the goal or switch to neighborhood targets? Weigh both arguments.
Charlotte is the 14th largest city in the United States with about 964,784 residents, in Mecklenburg. Here is who governs it, when they meet in public, and where the agendas are posted.
Seven district and four at-large council members elected to two-year terms.
| Body | What it decides | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte City Council | Ordinances, the city budget, zoning changes, contracts, police and fire funding | Official page |
| Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners | County budget, sheriff and jail, public health, elections administration, county roads | County website |
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board | School budget, boundaries, calendar, curriculum adoption, superintendent | District website |
| Charlotte Planning Commission | Rezonings, site plans, variances and long-range land use recommendations | City website |
Business meetings generally the second and fourth Mondays, 5:00-5:30 p.m., Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, 600 E. Fourth St. Always confirm the date and location on the official agenda before you attend, because meetings can be cancelled, moved or continued.
The main information line is 311 or (704) 336-7600. City Hall is at 600 E. Fourth St., Charlotte, NC 28202, and the official website is https://www.charlottenc.gov.
Find the agenda for the meeting, check the sign-up deadline (many cities close the list before the meeting starts), prepare remarks for the posted time limit — usually two or three minutes — and state your name, your district and your specific ask.
Charlotte's canopy has slipped below its 50 by 50 target. Should the city keep the goal or switch to neighborhood targets? Weigh both arguments.
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