North Charlotte Today

On December 4, the City of Charlotte held a swearing-in ceremony for the 2023-2025 mayor and Charlotte City Council body, marking the beginning of a new term. Mayor Vi Lyles, who is serving her fourth term, presided over the ceremony.

During the ceremony, Mayor Lyles presented two awards. The Richard Vinroot award was given to Mike Lamach, Co-chair of the Mayor's Racial Equity Initiative. The Harvey Gantt award was presented to Kieth Cockrell, President of Bank of America Charlotte.

In addition to the awards, Mayor Lyles also recognized outgoing At-large Council Member Braxton Winston, who had served three consecutive terms on the City Council. Council Member Dr. Victoria Watlington, who had previously served two terms as the District 3 representative, assumed the vacant at-large position. The council also welcomed Tiawana Brown as the new District 3 representative.

Following the ceremony, the council's main agenda item was to appoint a new Mayor Pro Tem. Two candidates were considered for the position: Council Member Watlington and District 1 Council Member Danté Anderson. In a vote of 7 to 4, Council Member Anderson was chosen for the role.

The Mayor Pro Tem, in the absence of the mayor, holds the powers of the mayor except for the right to veto. They preside over the city council and have the right to vote on all agenda items. The new council body will hold its first business meeting on December 11.

The swearing-in ceremony was an important event for the City of Charlotte as it marked the official beginning of the 2023-2025 term for the mayor and city council members. With Mayor Vi Lyles leading the way, the council body is ready to tackle the city's issues and work towards the betterment of Charlotte.

Watch the full ceremony below.

To learn more, click on this link: https://www.charlottenc.gov/CS-Prep/City-News/2023-City-Council-Swearing-in-Ceremony