CharMeckVotes.org

What does your Mayor do?

What is a mayor?

A Mayor is the political head of an incorporated city, town or village – otherwise known as a municipality.

There are 7 mayors in Mecklenburg County: in Charlotte, Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville.

How are mayors elected?

Mayors are elected every two years by a citywide (in Charlotte) or town-wide (Mecklenburg County towns) vote.

• If you are a resident of Charlotte, you can vote for Charlotte mayor but not for Cornelius mayor. If you are a resident of Huntersville, you can vote for Huntersville mayor but not for Matthews mayor.
• If you are unsure where you are registered to vote (which city or town), you can look it up here.
• No matter where you live, the local government officials in each city and town are important. Their decisions can impact residents outside of the city or town limits.

Responsibilities

The general responsibilities of the Charlotte mayor are:

• Preside at city council meetings, including voting in the event of a tie and having the option to veto a vote.
• Together, the Mayor and City Council are responsible for establishing the general policies under which the City operates.
• The Mayor is the chief spokesperson for the city.

Mayors in surrounding Mecklenburg County towns have similar responsibilities. This year, there will be a primary election for the Republican mayoral candidate for the City of Charlotte. The Democratic candidate is unopposed and will face the winner of the Republican primary. Mayors in Mecklenburg towns serve in non-partisan offices so there is no need for a primary – their races will be in the general election.

Learn more

Learn more about the role of the Mayor in Charlotte.

What is the difference between a city, town or village? In North Carolina, nothing – the terminology is simply the preference of the residents!