Mecklenburg commissioners wary of Trump executive orders, effect on DEI programs
.JPG "Elon Musk speaks as President Donald Trump looks on in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 11, 2025.")
President Donald Trump’s first months back in office have had a limited direct effect on Mecklenburg County government, but county commissioners are still concerned about what the administration’s policies could mean in the long term.
County staff presented the all-Democrat board an overview at their Tuesday meeting of the ongoing and potential impacts of Trump’s executive orders and the federal budget cuts instituted by tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency on both county government and partner organizations.
Mecklenburg County can sustain delays in receiving federal funding, staff said, but the potential elimination of some funding could create budget issues. For many executive orders and federal actions, the impact on county government so far is either minimal or unclear, staff said.
But some partners, including Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and area nonprofits, are already feeling more direct impacts, the presentation noted. And uncertainty looms about how far the administration will or won’t go on policies related to diversity and inclusion, the environment and Medicare and Medicaid.
Significant federal action on those issues could have a big impact on county operations, staff said.
Board Chair Mark Jerrell was blunt at the presentation’s conclusion.
“That was depressing,” he said.
Multiple commissioners spoke in emotional terms.
“I cannot verbalize the depth of my concern,” Commissioner Elaine Powell said.
DEI concerns
One topic of concern among the commissioners: the preservation of the county’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Since taking office in January, Trump has issued orders to DEI efforts at the federal level as well as curtail DEI programs by federal contractors and grant recipients.
The county’s applications for federal grants “must be free from DEI references or phrases” staff advised, noting the city of Asheville had to change language in its Helene disaster recovery plan after it was publicly criticized by the leader of the Department of Housing and Urban Development for inclusion of “DEI criteria.”
Commissioner Arthur Griffin suggested the county “think creatively” about how it talks about diversity and inclusion efforts.
“Maybe just using different labels, but not trying to be deceptive,” he said.
Jerrell emphasized the county needs to assuage residents concerned county services they rely on will go away.
“I’m really concerned about our ability to communicate with the public,” he said.
This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 5:15 AM.
