06/03/2026
Words matter.
A recent North Carolina Supreme Court ruling raised important questions about what tools local governments may have to support public safety. It is unfortunate that, rather than allowing communities to thoughtfully evaluate those options, the General Assembly moved quickly to restrict local flexibility.
This was not about a specific proposal from the City of Charlotte. It was about a legal ruling and the broader question of whether local governments should be trusted to have transparent conversations about the needs of their residents.
Public safety remains one of the most important responsibilities of government. Yet without a state budget that provides cities with the tools and resources to meet this moment, we should be expanding thoughtful dialogue, not limiting it.
Our residents deserve transparency, accountability, and the ability to see their elected officials openly discuss the issues that impact their lives.
Republican lawmakers in Raleigh are moving quickly to stop North Carolina counties from using revenue collected from special tourism taxes on hotel rooms to pay for things like police.
They’re taking action after the Republican-majority North Carolina Supreme Court last month unanimously ruled that Currituck County, on the coast, could use hotel and motel taxes to help fund public safety. The court’s rationale was that tourists need to be safe and that it is permissible to use tourism dollars for extra police services.
That ruling prompted some Charlotte City Council members, such as J.D. Mazuera Arias and Victoria Watlington, this week to take a second look at the idea of using hospitality taxes to pay for public safety. Council members briefly considered doing that two years ago before dropping the idea in the face of opposition from the tourism industry.
Full story: WFAE.org or link in bio.
📄: Steve Harrison
📷: WFAE
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