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Charlotte council adopts external process and standard timeline to appoint interim mayor; requires in‑person interviews for finalists
Summary
Council voted unanimously to use an external application process (open to internal candidates who apply) and a standard schedule to appoint an interim mayor, adding a requirement for in‑person interviews for finalists; applications will open June 2 and staff will schedule interviews before a final appointment.
Charlotte’s City Council on Tuesday approved a process for filling the mayoral vacancy that invites both external applicants and internal candidates who choose to apply, adopts the standard (non‑expedited) timeline and adds a requirement that finalists participate in in‑person interviews.
City Attorney Andrea Leslie Feit and Deputy City Attorney Lena James presented two schedules: an expedited option that would shorten application windows and a standard option with an applications opening June 2, a close roughly a week later, and interviews/public forum to occur before a final appointment later in June. After discussion about public access and fairness, council members favored the standard schedule and added a friendly amendment requiring that candidates invited for interviews appear in person.
Councilmember Ashmira (mover) framed the motion as preserving an open, transparent process that allows community input. Several members asked that the application include a question about whether applicants intend to seek election in 2027; attorneys said that could be added as a nonbinding question to the application form. Mayor Pro Tem and other members emphasized the importance of public forums and guardrails to limit the number of candidate interviews.
Under the adopted schedule, staff will publish the application, verify eligibility, and return a list of qualified applicants for council review. The council will then hold interviews (described in the materials as a public forum/interview period) and vote to appoint the interim mayor; the appointee would be sworn in on July 1. Council also directed staff to finalize exact interview dates and logistics to ensure broad participation.
The motion passed unanimously after clarifying language about interview timing and whether the committee should vet the application first. Council members said they expect the public forum/interview stage to provide transparency while ensuring the council can make a timely appointment.
