Free Republic

The Charlotte City Council potentially trashed a $24 million deal Tuesday night when it unanimously voted to rezone what was once the land of the Hornets. You know, the Charlotte Coliseum that sits out there on Tyvola Road like a giant white elephant the city spent in excess of $100 million to build. The property was supposed to be sold for $24 million, but now nobody’s sure what it will fetch. Last year, Crescent Resources – the development subsidiary of Duke Energy – stepped up to the plate and committed to buying the 154-acre parcel for $24 million as part...

It would have been an interesting race, but Democrat Parks Helms just isn't healthy enough to challenge Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory for his job. After months of speculation, the Mecklenburg County commissioner announced Thursday he will not seek the mayor's office this fall. "I would have enjoyed it," Helms said Thursday night. "I told Pat we'll have a great time." McCrory has not made his re-election bid official, but he said Thursday night he is "taking all the steps necessary" to run for an unprecedented fifth two-year term. "I never make my official announcement until filing in July," McCrory said....

There’s one less Democrat and one more Republican in Mecklenburg County, and the math might just work out to one more Republican on the Charlotte City Council. Long odds on another political calculation might add up to a new Republican mayor. Last week, Optimist Park community activist Linda Williams officially switched her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican. On Monday, former City Councilmember Mike Castano, who has been a Republican since birth, officially announced he was running for mayor, seeking to unseat four-term incumbent Pat McCrory, also a Republican, who might or might not run for another term. McCrory hasn’t...