Legislative Update

49er Democracy Experience

The 49er Democracy Experience offers the UNC Charlotte community a dynamic, nonpartisan platform for engaging in civic life.

Launched prior to the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, the program educates students and community members about voter registration, early voting, primary and election news, volunteer opportunities, student internships and campus events.

Now, with the 2020 Republican National Convention scheduled to take place in Charlotte this summer, the 49er Democracy Experience is providing opportunities for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends to interact with the democratic process.

UNC Charlotte is an early voting site for the 2020 presidential, state and local primary elections. If you are registered to vote in Mecklenburg County, you can vote on campus at the Belk Gym from Feb. 13–29 during the primary election.

Charlotte City Council Members Visit Campus

Chancellor Phil Dubois; Betty Doster, special assistant to the chancellor; and Anna Helms, assistant director of constituent relations, treat new Charlotte City Council members Malcolm Graham (District 2), Victoria Watlington ’13 (District 3) and Renee’ Johnson (District 4) with a “Chancellor’s cart tour” and meeting to brief them about the University.

Budget Update

Gov. Roy Cooper and the North Carolina General Assembly were unable to come to an agreement on a state budget during their one-day session in January. Additionally, there was no agreement on a “mini-budget” addressing salary increases for employees in the UNC System.

Because there is no budget for the current fiscal year, UNC Charlotte must continue to operate under the fiscal 2019 budget.

On Feb. 10, the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees joined with the Board of Governors and board of trustees of other UNC campuses to pass a resolution encouraging state leaders to move quickly to address the funding requests.

Here is an update on what this impasse means for the University:

• Science Building – The new Science Building’s construction will continue as planned. However, the loss of funds to operate the building, including utilities, custodial services, information technology, and other critical operational needs, may postpone the opening of the facility beyond spring 2021
• Other Campus Renovations – The University’s planned renovations of Burson and Cameron Halls to support the College of Computing and Informatics and the Department of Systems Engineering could be delayed because of a lack of funding. Additionally, the renovation of other campus spaces into technologically advanced classrooms may be delayed
• Salary Increases – The lack of an approved budget also means there was no funding received for salary increases for UNC System employees or employees in the community college and K-12 school systems

The University’s leadership team is assessing how to maximize available resources to ensure that top priorities continue to be met. The General Assembly will convene on April 28.