The City Council of Charlotte convened on May 19, 2025, for a budget workshop focused on the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, particularly regarding the allocation of funds to financial partners. The meeting began with a review of the application process for financial partnerships, which saw 50 applicants vying for approximately $8 million in funding. This was the first year under a new financial partners policy adopted in October 2024, which required departments to rank applicants based on specific criteria.

City Manager Jones presented the proposed budget, noting that feedback from council members, particularly from Council Member Mayfield, highlighted concerns about adherence to the new policy. The policy stipulates that organizations must not request more than 30% of their budget to be eligible for funding. However, it was revealed that some applicants exceeded this threshold, leading to adjustments in funding proposals.

Council Member Mayfield emphasized the need for clarity in the definition of a financial partner and pointed out that some applicants might be better suited for different budget categories. She acknowledged a miscommunication regarding the distribution of information about the budget proposals, which she took responsibility for.

The discussion included a detailed examination of scoring criteria used to evaluate applications, with a focus on ensuring transparency and equity in the funding process. The council reviewed the average scores of applicants and identified those who did not meet the eligibility criteria, which were marked in red on the provided documentation.

Mayfield proposed a funding strategy that would allocate an additional $444,430 to support organizations that scored well but did not exceed the 30% funding limit. She suggested that this funding be drawn from a larger budget of $5.3 million, while also recommending that a portion be reserved for city staff support services.

The meeting concluded with a commitment to improve the funding process for partners and to clarify application expectations moving forward. The council recognized the challenges faced by new partners in receiving timely funding and expressed a desire to streamline future processes to enhance support for community organizations. Further discussions and decisions regarding the budget will continue in upcoming meetings.