Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles could stay in office beyond planned resignation date
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles plans to stay in office until the City Council appoints her successor, even if that takes her past her planned June 30 retirement.
Lyles clarified her intentions on Wednesday in a two-sentence email to the council, which is scheduled to make a decision on June 22. The process could take longer if a majority of the 11 council members cannot reach an agreement. Lyles’ email was first reported by WFAE.
The council on Tuesday agreed to open applications to the public from June 2 through 9. Applicants will be winnowed down to a pool of finalists who will attend in-person interviews with the council on a yet-to-be-finalized date.
To be eligible, applicants must be 21 years or older, a Charlotte resident and registered to the same party as Lyles, a Democrat.
The interim mayor would take office July 1 under the adopted timeline.
Voters had just reelected Lyles by a wide margin in November, making her the second-longest serving mayor in Charlotte history. But earlier this month, Lyles announced she planned to resign at the end of June, bringing an abrupt end to her nearly decade-long tenure in the mayor’s office.
Her surprise announcement came a quarter of the way into her fifth term and offered no explanation beyond wanting to spend more time with family.
The interim mayor will finish Lyles’ term, which ends in December 2027. Voters won’t have another direct say in the city’s top elected office until next year’s election.
The council could choose an external or internal candidate after holding public interviews. Several council members are expected to run for mayor next year, and at least one has already asked his colleagues for the interim job.
Mayor Pro Tem James Mitchell told the council he would not run for mayor next term if appointed.
