‘Everything is on the table’ for economic relief, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles says

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, who has remained largely out of the public eye as coronavirus cases begin to surge locally, sought to reassure city residents Wednesday about the economic blows dealt by the pandemic.

But in a virtual press briefing, Lyles stopped short of explaining the City Council’s specific plans to help businesses that have been forced to shutter or drastically revise their operations, including restaurants limited to only takeout or delivery.

Charlotte officials are exploring a range of options to alleviate financial pressures on individuals, including reducing property taxes and evaluating future bond referendums, Lyles said.

“We’re going to have to look carefully at everything that we’re doing. Everything is on the table,” Lyles said, noting that the hospitality sector is taking a “large brunt” of the immediate economic impact caused by the coronavirus.

Local funding and support for small businesses, Lyles said, will supplement the federal stimulus package.

Lyles refused to speculate if the Republican National Convention — slated for late August in Charlotte — should be canceled.

The Republican National Committee said last weekend it was “firmly committed” to hosting the event, though it would follow guidance from federal, state and local governments.

“None of us know quite what’s ahead of us,” Lyles said. “What we would do is follow the national and federal guidelines, and who knows what the summer will be like?”

Crucial industries are fully operational in Charlotte, Lyles said, despite the pandemic — especially healthcare. That’s part of the reason the LYNX Blue Line and CATS buses are still running, she said.

“Cleanliness is the highest priority — we are following a very restrictive protocol around how we are doing the cleaning” for CATS, Lyles said.

Stay-at-home order

Lyles also urged residents to follow the stay-at-home order that will impact Mecklenburg County for the next three weeks.

Lyles said the proclamation, which takes effect at 8 a.m. Thursday, is critical to mitigating the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

“I will be doing as much as is needed so we can maintain what I call the connection between our community,” Lyles said. “What we need right now is the ability to come together — to work together — to make sure everyone has a part (in) this plan to flatten the curve.”

The mayor, who says she doesn’t have “any symptoms of the coronavirus,” has not been tested for COVID-19. Lyles said she didn’t want to take a test kit away from “someone who really needs it.” Local hospitals and commercial partners like LabCorp have been ramping up their testing capacity, following a shortage in supplies from the federal government.

Officials said there were 170 confirmed cases in Mecklenburg County as of Wednesday morning. In neighboring Cabarrus County, a resident became North Carolina’s first fatal victim of the coronavirus, Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday.

Lyles joined a number of local elected officials who signed Mecklenburg’s stay-at-home order on Tuesday, including George Dunlap —the chairman of the Mecklenburg County commissioners — and the mayors of Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Mint Hill, Matthews and Pineville.

The proclamation significantly restricts daily life for Mecklenburg County residents through at least April 16. Private and public gatherings are limited to 10 people, superseding a previous directive that banned gatherings of 50 or more people.

This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 4:22 PM.