Greg Phipps sworn in, fills vacated Charlotte City Council At-Large seat
City Council selects Greg Phipps to fill at-large seat By WBTV Web Staff | February 1, 2021 at 8:32 PM EST - Updated February 2 at 3:28 PM
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Greg Phipps, the former District 4 representative of Charlotte City Council, was sworn in Tuesday for the at-large seat vacated by longtime city councilmember James âSmuggieâ Mitchell.
Mitchell resigned on Jan. 11, and during Mondayâs city council meeting, Phipps was voted in.
The swearing-in took place in Charlotte Mayor Vi Lylesâ office at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center and the oath of office was administered by Mayor Lyles in the presence of City Clerk Stephanie Kelly. Council Member Phippsâ wife, Lemair Phipps, stood by his side for the oath of office.
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Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles broke a 5-5 tie Monday night to have former council member Greg Phipps fill a vacancy on City Council.
There is an open seat because at-large member James Mitchell resigned last month because of a conflict in his new job as part-owner of a construction company that does business with the city. His term ends in December.
More than 140 people applied for the vacancy, and 68 people spoke during a virtual public forum on Friday.
Greg Phipps
But it came down to two candidates: Phipps and Jessica Davis, who works in communications and community support for the Mecklenburg County Courthouse.
Greg Phipps, the former District 4 representative of Charlotte City Council, has been selected to fill a vacant at-large seat, after longtime city councilmember James “Smuggie” Mitchell resigned.
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A Charlotte City Council committee voted unanimously Wednesday to put a report on housing discrimination before the full City Council. The report addresses the issue of landlords who discriminate against tenants because of their source of income.
The Great Neighborhoods Committee recommended creating an advisory group to explore the issue over the next year. This group would set goals, such as increasing the number of landlords accepting housing vouchers.
Council member Braxton Winston says landlords also aren t accepting other kinds of payments, and those need to be studied as well.
“I think whatever work that we do, while we should know about housing choice vouchers, we need to be quantifying the overall impact to the market, to citizens, and how we can deal with this issue comprehensively,” Winston said.
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Organizations around the Charlotte region are not letting the coronavirus get in the way of marking this year s Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday on Monday.
Virtual and outdoor events have been planned throughout the weekend to honor the civil rights leader and build on his dream of racial equality. They include film screenings, musical and dramatic performances, a pay what you can soup kitchen, and virtual remarks from Dr. King s oldest son, Martin Luther King III.
This year s events will also take on special significance after last summer s nationwide protests against police brutality and the rise of white nationalism, said Afeni Grace with Charlotte s Harvey B. Gantt Center.