August 29, 2013
 Dear Friends,
It's been another exciting month in the Mayor's Office. I was especially glad to take part in the Charlotte Pride parade on August 25. It was the City's first LGBT parade in 19 years, and the two-day festival Uptown was the biggest LGBT celebration in North Carolina history. The organizing committee did a fantastic job and I was so proud of the strong corporate support for the parade from our business community.
As a Council Member, I joined with my colleagues to help pass same-sex domestic partner benefits for City employees, and I will continue to advocate for the LGBT community as Mayor. Charlotte's LGBT residents are our friends, our neighbors, and our co-workers, and we want Charlotte to be an inclusive place to live, work, and play.
I hope you enjoy reading about some of my other activities below and I'd encourage you to visit my website where you can find more photos and information.
As always, it's an honor to serve you.
Sincerely,
 On August 6, cities across the country celebrated National Night Out, a time for neighbors to come together to strengthen community relations and promote crime prevention. Neighborhoods throughout Charlotte joined in and I visited celebrations in Hidden Valley, Plaza-Shamrock, Country Club Heights, Belmont, and Madison Park. It was a powerful reminder of how lucky we are to have residents and neighborhood associations that are devoted to keeping our neighborhoods safe and strong.
Ultimately, a city is only as strong as its neighborhoods, and the City Council and I are committed to doing all we can to help them through matching grants and neighborhood improvement programs. At the same time, we need our citizens' help. I'd encourage all Charlotte residents to get involved in your neighborhood associations to see how you can make a difference.
 Charlotte B-cycle marked its 1-year anniversary on July 31 with the opening of its 21st station at the New Bern LYNX station in South End. The program is the largest urban bike-sharing system in the Southeast and was wildly successful in its first year--with more than 11,000 one-day riders, it surpassed expectations by 1,600 percent.
Plans call for the program to be expanded with more bike stations added in the years to come and if you haven't already, I'd encourage you to try it out. We all want Charlotte to be a world-class city where our residents can live healthy, active lives and enjoy as many transit options as possible.
Historic Charlotte
Please join me in supporting Historic Charlotte’s Blast for the Past on Thursday, October 17 at the Bechtler Museum of Art from 6-8 pm. This annual event showcases the year’s top innovative historic preservation projects and advocates in our community.
Girl Power Happy Hour
Many thanks to Carolina Actors Studio Theatre and
Crystal Dempsey for recently hosting a "Girl Power Happy Hour" in my
honor. It was great to see so many friends and supporters! You can view photos of the event here.
Affordable Care Act
ACA enrollment begins October 1 for coverage that starts on January 1, 2014. For up-to-date information regarding the entire process, call 1-800-318-2596 or click here.
Exercise Your Right to Vote
On September 10, Charlotte will hold primary elections for Mayor and City Council. For more information, click here.
Carolina Business Review
On August 16, I joined Mayor Terry Bellamy of Asheville, Mayor Steve Benjamin of Columbia, and Mayor Stephen Wukela of Florence for WTVI's "Carolina Business Review." You can watch the full episode here. |
