During the City Council's FY 2026 Budget Workshop on May 19, 2025, a significant proposal aimed at supporting homeless students in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School (CMS) system took center stage. Council member Mitchell highlighted the urgent need for housing solutions for McKinney-Vento students, who lack stable living conditions. "It's for a support housing program for the McKinney-Vento students that are homeless and don't have anywhere to live," Mitchell stated, emphasizing the importance of addressing this critical issue.

In addition to the housing proposal, discussions also revolved around potential salary increases for city employees. Mitchell expressed support for raising salaries to $25 or $26 per hour, aligning with the community's budgetary requests. This sentiment echoed the earlier comments from council member Molina, who praised the hard work of city staff.

The council also engaged in a detailed review of budget proposals, with a focus on ensuring that all items received adequate support. The process involved determining whether proposed funding requests could garner the necessary five votes to move forward. Council members debated the implications of various funding allocations, including a proposed additional $444,000 for financial partners, which would bring the total budget request to approximately $1.2 million.

As the meeting progressed, council members agreed to refer the financial partners' discussion to the Budget and Investment Review (BGIR) committee for further examination. This decision aims to streamline the budget process and ensure that all proposals are thoroughly vetted before being presented to the full council.

The council is set to reconvene on June 2, where they will continue discussions on the budget and the financial partners' proposals. This meeting will be crucial for finalizing the budget ahead of the upcoming fiscal year, ensuring that essential services and support programs are adequately funded.