City Council accepts security funds for RNC, questions in-person convention

CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte City Council narrowly voted to accept $50 million from the Department of Justice to cover security costs for holding the Republican National Convention.

Republicans Tariq Bokhari and Ed Driggs were joined by Democrats Julie Eiselt, Larken Egleston, Malcolm Graham and James Mitchell to pass the measure. Dimple Ajmera, Matt Newton, Renee Johnson, Victoria Watlington and Braxton Winston voted no. Had the council voted no to reject the funding, the city would have still been on the hook to host the RNC. The only difference is city taxpayers would have been forced to pay the bill to cover security.

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We are less than 120 days away from the RNC. Coronavirus has derailed ordinary life while mass gatherings are banned and a stay at home order is in place. If the convention was imminent, its future would be in doubt, city attorney Patrick Baker said.

"If the convention were to occur tomorrow, based on the stay-at-home order and mass gatherings, the convention would not be able to go on," Baker said.

Baker said he has advised attorneys for the RNC to start thinking about Plan B and Plan C in case an in-person event is not possible. An estimated 50,000 people were projected to attend the RNC. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney said planning to this point has been for an in-person event.

Whether the event has 50,000 people or 50 people, city leaders argued it would be irresponsible to reject security funding from the DOJ and leave local taxpayers responsible, especially at time when COVID-19 is ravaging local budgets.

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“I see it as a responsibility to the city,” Mayor Pro Tem Julie Eiselt said. “We have a fiscal responsibility to the city that if this thing comes here in some form, we should not have to pay to keep our city safe.”

"We can accept the security grant, or we can vote it down to figure out how to fund $50 million," Bokhari said.

Some leaders said they voted no because they do not believe it will be safe for the city of Charlotte to hold the event in August.

"Maybe it is time we go back to the drawing board on this," Newton said. "We don't want to offer our city as a Petri dish."

"We need to stop this charade right now," Winston said. "We should not tell our city staff and CMPD to use our resources for something that we know is not going to happen."

Mayor Vi Lyles has some say in whether a stay-at-home order is in place locally or whether there are any mass gathering restrictions. She said she would follow whatever directives the health director and two hospitals request. Driggs reiterated the RNC is committed to following those same rules.

RNC officials say they're committed to having in-person convention in Charlotte this August RNC officials say they're committed to having in-person convention in Charlotte this August

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