CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte City Council members continue to shake things up. Halfway through their first term council is now asking for more staff support.
Currently Charlotte City Council has four support staff members for the 11 members. Former Councilman Kenny Smith says a request for additional support staff is absurd.
"To think you need a 1:1 ratio or something more than the 1:6 ratio, that we had on council, says more about the people asking for it than it does the people that are serving them," Smith said. "To me this council seems very needy and seems to be going in a direction that could be dangerous for the city."
Last month, Charlotte City Council unanimously voted in favor of City Manager Marcus Jones to explore ways to be able to provide city council with more staff support without needing additional funding in the budget.
The manager is seeing whether he can use three vacant communications positions as a way to fund and staff council's request.
The effort has been championed by councilman Braxton Winston.
"It is important we are able to be quickly responsive to the needs of our constituents," Winston said.
After he made the proposal, the city came up with an estimate. At a $65,000 salary, it would cost $733,617 dollars for an additional seven positions so each council member could have their own personal assistant.
A city council member position is part-time but Winston says that's in name only.
"There is always something you could be doing at any time of the day that is relevant to doing the work of people of Charlotte," he said.
The city manager plans to bring his recommendation in the coming weeks.
Cox Media Group
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