MECKLENBURG COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 05
The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners is the governing body of Mecklenburg County. The Board consists of nine commissioners - six representing districts and three elected at-large - that are elected in November of even-numbered years. A Commissioner At-Large is a designation for Mecklenburg County commissioners who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the County. The Board's major responsibilities include adopting the annual County budget, setting the County property tax rate, and assessing and establishing priorities on the many community needs, especially those related to health, education, welfare, mental health and the environment. The Board also makes appointments to citizen advisory committees.
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Charles DeLoach
(DEM)
What experience and skills make you the best candidate for this office? (Max. 750 characters)
What is the most important issue the County Commission will have to address in the next two years? (Max. 750 characters)
What is the most effective role the County Commission can play in improving the local schools? What policies or funding will you suggest when elected? (Max. 750 characters)
What policies will you propose to improve the economy of your county? (Max. 750 characters)
What policies would you propose to improve the quantity and quality of social services in your county? (Max. 750 characters)
Additional Comments (Max. 1000 characters)
Current Occupation
Attorney
Age (optional)
33
Campaign Phone
9495994894
My professional background as an attorney dealing with difficult situations on behalf of clients and my experience running a non-profit hosting dialogues about charged issues across partisan lines have both prepared me for this role. But what makes me most prepared for this role is having become a father in December of 2024. We're lucky to have many capable and dedicate leaders in Charlotte in Mecklenburg County, but none of them know what it's like raising a toddler in the year 2026. Families like mine are struggling to balance the cost of childcare at rates that rival our monthly mortgage/rent payments. I'm excited for the opportunity to bring that context to the County Commission and fight for young families.
It's likely that the County is going to have to deal with budget constraints as the state continues to cut funding while simultaneously limiting the power of local governments to raise revenue through property taxes. That leaves the county with very few options outside of increased sales taxes (which can't cover the cuts we expect) and cutting essential services. Navigating that dynamic will be tricky, and it will require us managing relationships in Raleigh while also setting expectations at home about what we'll be able to afford without changes from the state.
Some things the County is already doing, like fully funding the local supplement request from the school board, are strong steps that should be continued. That local supplement pays for 700 CMS teachers in addition to the supplemental pay provided to all CMS teachers on top of what the state provides. Beyond that, the County must strive to create an environment that sets students up to succeed. That means providing meals to hungry children, after school programming to build upon classwork, and plenty of opportunities for play and socializing.
I support straightforward investments in workforce development programs like the job training at our local community colleges to help citizens of Mecklenburg get training to advance their careers. I'd also like to see changes to some red tape in the permitting process for development. For example, new construction in Charlotte requires permitting from both the city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Both governments use a software called Accela for the applications, but for some reason, they use a different instance of the same software that isn't integrated. That means, the same applications have to be filled out multiple times causing delays. Updating tools like that can help local businesses spend resources more effectively.
There's a long list of applicable social services provided by Mecklenburg County, but the one I'm focused on is childcare subsidization. Right now, the County provides about $11M in addition to the $50M+ that the state provides to help low income families afford childcare. Despite that, we have over 2,000 children on the waitlist for subsidies and the County is not accepting applications for people to get on the waitlist. We could shift that $11M by providing it to childcare providers instead of families. This would create more supply of care, remove the burden on low income families of dealing with the bureaucracy, and avoid the necessity of a tax increase.
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