Government Center

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This is the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center. The center, at 600 E. 4th St., is home to both the city and county offices and the city council members and county commissioners hold sessions in the same meeting chamber.

The building is a rose-colored, 14-story triangular tower that, with an adjacent parking deck, cost $41 million. It includes a state-of-the-art 230-seat meeting chamber.

Form of Government

City Government

The City Council holds three open meeting each month in the meeting chamber of this building. The meetings are held on the second and fourth Monday for general business and the third Monday for zoning matters. All Council meetings are open to the public. The general business sessions are broadcast live on cable TV.

The City Council is made up of 11 members, seven from districts and four at-large, elected every odd-numbered year in partisan elections. The mayor is also elected at this time. The mayor presides over the Council meetings and represents the city at special events and ceremonies. The mayor is responsible for the execution of local laws. The Mayor Pro Tempore is elected by vote by the City Council and assumes all duties and powers of the office in the Mayor's absence.

Together the Mayor and City Council are responsible for establishing the policies under which the City operates. Their duties include


• Appointing the City Manager
• Appointing the City Attorney
• Appointing the City Clerk
• Appointing the Members of various boards and commissions
• Enacting ordinances and resolutions
• Reviewing the annual budget and approving financing of all city operations
• Authorizing contracts on behalf of the City

The City Manager is responsible for administering the policy decisions made by the City Council. The manager oversees 26 departments that provide services to Charlotte residents.
The manager's duties include
• Assuring that all city departments provide services to citizens in an efficient manner
• Assuring that the city laws are faithfully executed
• Attending City Council meetings.
• Reporting to the City Council on affairs and financial condition of the City.
• Appointing all department heads except those appointed by the Council.

County Government

The board of county commissioners are elected in partisan elections held in even-numbered years. Seven members are elected, four from districts and three at-large. The chair and vice chair are elected by the members, and the chair is historically the top vote-getter of the majority party.

The commission holds it general business meeting on the first and third Mondays of each month. Like the Council meetings, Commissions meetings are held in the meeting chamber of this building open to the public and are broadcast live on cable TV.

During even number years, the county also elects nine school board members, all at-large, and representatives to the state General Assembly and state senators.

Related Sites

Charlotte-Mecklenburg

• WINGS
• Government On-Line
• Services
• Departments

Local Towns

• Town of Cornelius
• Town of Huntersville
• Town of Davidson
• Town of Matthews
• Town of Mint Hill
• Town of Pineville

Charlotte

• General Information
• Department of Transportation

Mecklenburg County

• General Information

North Carolina

• Public Information

Loca Politics

• Our Local Elected Officials with Bios
• Elections '96
• League of Women
• The Election Archives
• The Mecklenburg County Young Democrats

Directions

	Government Center
	600 E. 4th Street
	Charlotte, NC  28202

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