In Mecklenburg commission’s District 3 Dunlap, challenger talk about funding for CMS
To help inform voters in the March 3, 2026, election, this candidate questionnaire is available to be republished by local publications in North Carolina without any cost. Please consider subscribing to The Charlotte Observer to help make this coverage possible.
This story focuses on the Democratic primary for Mecklenburg County Commission District 3, which features incumbent George Dunlap and challenger Phil Carey. The district covers parts of north and east Charlotte as well as University City and some areas around uptown.
The Charlotte Observer asked all candidates in this race to complete a questionnaire to inform voters about their opinions on big issues facing voters.
Phil Carey
Political party
Democratic
District number or at-large
District 3
Age as of March 3, 2026
56
Campaign website
Current occupation
Property management - Carpe Properties
Professional experience
Former financial analyst and former corporate auditor
Education
Master of Accounting - UNC Chapel Hill; Master of Business Administration - Finance - NCCU
Please list any notable government or civic involvement.
Current board member - Mecklenburg County Board of Equalization and Review; Former board member Mecklenburg County Park & Rec; Former SEC Member, Former Mecklenburg County Democratic Party third vice chair
What is the most important issue facing Mecklenburg County, and what do you want to do about it?
The biggest issue facing the county is the budget. The budgetary needs are great within one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country. Issues like affordability, crime and other issues are always at the forefront of financial decisions. Balancing this with making every effort to keep the tax rate low, while also keeping it in line with growth needs will always be the most important issue the commissioners face. This requires listening to the needs of the community first.
County commissioners are responsible for setting Mecklenburg’s property tax rate. How would you approach balancing the county’s fiscal needs with affordability for residents when setting the rate?
Affordability is one of the components that must be considered when setting the tax rate. The needs in our high-growth county are great, and the state of North Carolina isn’t helping by not fully funding their responsibilities. Our priorities are set by communication with the citizens. This information drives the prioritization for needs and provides the confidence that taxpayer money is being spent in the areas most critical to the success of the county.
Mecklenburg County provides a significant amount of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ funding, as voted on annually by county commissioners. How would you approach school funding decisions?
School funding decisions must be placed into the bigger picture of the overall budget. School funding decisions will be based partly on performance and partly on need, but I believe there are other ways that we can support CMS that are not budgetary. I want to ensure factors, like safety, receive heavy emphasis for our students and teachers, as well. This is a non-monetary policy that can go a long way towards improving the overall environment in our schools for teachers and students.
What can commissioners do to improve relationships between Mecklenburg County and the municipalities within it to facilitate intergovernmental cooperation?
Intergovernmental relations in this county are slowly improving. We bring together representatives as part of our regional transportation organization (CRTPO) as well as the newly organized transit group that will replace CATS. However, I want to see it taken to the next level where we incorporate our municipalities into conversations around issues such as crime and coordinate with our municipalities to improve our economies of scale.
Do you disagree with your political party on any issues? If so, on what and why?
I disagree with how the political party has handled crime. As an example, I thought the response to the state legislature coming down to Charlotte to celebrate the signing of a new law was weak, given the fact that the law signed should have been done by the state legislature a long time ago. We need to devise a document that lays out what we can legally do in regards to arrests, prosecuting and sentencing. I want it to also show how we are limited based on archaic state law.
George Dunlap
Political party
Democratic
District number or at-large
District 3
Age as of March 3, 2026
69
Campaign website
Current occupation
Elected official
Professional experience
1974-1976 U.S. Marine Corps, 1976-1978 Race relations counselor, National Conference of Christians and Jews, 1978-2005 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
Education
Masters of Public Administration, UNC-Charlotte, BS in Criminal Justice, UNC-Charlotte, AA Police Science, CPCC, AA correctional Science, CPCC, and completed several leadership courses. NACO High Performance Leadership Academy, the County Leadership Institute, the BROAD Institute, to name a few
Please list any notable government or civic involvement.
1st Vice President National Association of Counties, North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Board of Directors, UNC-Charlotte Board of Advisors, University City Partners. Past civic involvement includes being chairman of Centralina Economic Development Board, chairman of Saint Paul Baptist Board of Directors, president of North State Law Enforcement Officers Association, NC Sheriff’s Training and Standards Commission, NC Criminal Justice Training and Standards Commission, along with numerous other boards and commissions.
What is the most important issue facing Mecklenburg County, and what do you want to do about it?
It is difficult to say what the most important issue facing Mecklenburg County is because things change and priorities change, which is why the board chooses to focus on about five issues. If it were my decision alone, I would say that affordable housing is a most important issue. Mecklenburg County is an attractive place to live, work and recreate, and people are moving hear from all over the country. If we are to accommodate the growth, our community must have housing that accommodates the varied levels of income.
County commissioners are responsible for setting Mecklenburg’s property tax rate. How would you approach balancing the county’s fiscal needs with affordability for residents when setting the rate?
Each year, the county does participatory budgeting. We have public hearings on the budget, we conduct in person and online budget workshops. We conduct surveys online and through town hall meeting to hear from the public prior to making any budget decisions. We conduct several public workshops about the budget prior to the county manager presenting the budget to the board. The board will then have an additional public hearing to get feedback from the public on the proposed budget. The board will have good information about the community's response to what is being proposed. The board will have to balance those concerns with the affordability of our residents.
Mecklenburg County provides a significant amount of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ funding, as voted on annually by county commissioners. How would you approach school funding decisions?
I believe the relationship between the Board and CMS to be stronger than ever. Under my leadership, we had our first joint meeting between the two bodies so that we might establish a better working relationship. This greatly improved the meetings that both boards have regarding our budget discussions and has lead to a better understanding between the two bodies. The superintendent and the manger will have had several budget discussions prior to the superintendent presenting CMS’s budget to the Board of Commissioners. This process has taken much of the tension out of the process and led to more civil discussions about the budget.
What can commissioners do to improve relationships between Mecklenburg County and the municipalities within it to facilitate intergovernmental cooperation?
When I served as chairman, I met with the governing bodies of all of the municipalities within Mecklenburg County to share with them that we wanted to form a partnership with them, and we did. This kind of collaboration has lead to the county working with the towns on a number of projects. Examples being the new library in Pineville, the Cain Center and more parks in Cornelius and a veterans service center in Huntersville. Mecklenburg County worked with the towns on transportation. I believe that our relationship is stronger than ever given the support we received on the transportation referendum.
Do you disagree with your political party on any issues? If so, on what and why?
It is very possible that I might disagree with the Democratic Party on an issue; however, I can’t think of an issue that is front and center or one that is currently being debated that I disagree with.
