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Will taxpayers be on the hook for 2020 RNC costs?

By Glenn Counts, wsoctv.com, Joe Bruno, wsoctv.com and Paul Boyd
By Glenn Counts, wsoctv.com, Joe Bruno, wsoctv.com and Paul Boyd

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Four sources confirmed to Channel 9 the Charlotte City Council will vote on Monday to become the host city for the Republican National Convention in 2020.

Two people familiar with the process said the vote will likely have to do with accepting federal money for security.

Charlotte is finalist for 2020 Republican

Sources said they expect there will be enough support to approve it.

The Wall Street Journal reported Republican officials were finalizing details on Tuesday to bring the convention to Charlotte.

A Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority official told Channel 9 the host committee carries 100 percent of the fundraising burden, and the federal government will provide $50 million to pay for security.

City Councilman Tariq Bokhari also sought to reassure Charlotte taxpayers Wednesday.

“Taxpayers will not be personally on the hook for any of this money,” Bokhari said.

Some critics of the convention have raised concerns about cost overruns being a wild card for taxpayers.

“I can personally guarantee with whatever vote I have and whatever data I've seen in the past, that taxpayer's will not be personally on the hook for any of this money,” Bokhari said.

Many want to know who will pay for this event if it comes to Charlotte as expected.

"The majority of the money is raised by the private sector to fund the cost of the convention," CRVA CEO Tom Murray said.

2020 RNC in Charlotte is all but guaranteed

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles reaffirmed her support for bringing the Republican National Convention to Charlotte in 2020 Tuesday.

Some other Democrats, including former Mayor Jennifer Roberts, have said they're against it.

Lyles wrote an op-ed in the Charlotte Observer saying in part: "If Charlotte is the site for the RNC, we can show that our city is about inclusion and leverage it has an opportunity to demonstrate our values of respect while honoring our differences."

She went on to talk about how the convention would create jobs and bring in money.

There will be a decision on the selection between Charlotte and Las Vegas next week.

There were nightly protests in uptown Charlotte when the city hosted the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

Historically, the Democrats protest more than the Republicans, which means there has been more action at the DNC.

Some experts think there will be a role reversal this time around.

"We were very lucky (to have the DNC)'” UNCC political science professor Eric Heberlig said. “Part of it was luck and part of it was training."

Heberlig expected the protests to be more boisterous than they turned out to be.

"If things do get out of hand, how does the crowd respond?" Heberlig said.

If Charlotte gets the RNC in 2020, he is not sure that the city will have the same luck on its side.

Robert Dawkins with Action NC agrees.

"No, it's not going to be as peaceful, but again, I don't think it's going to be that bad," Dawkins said.

In 2012, his group coordinated with other protesters and the police. The concern this time is that other groups that represent the extreme right or left might show up who have no interest in cooperation.

Dawkins said the risk is there, but he believes it can be controlled.

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