Charlotte’s year in review: The best and worst of the city in 2022
2022 has given Charlotte a lot to reflect on. We elected new leaders, cheered on new teams, saw new businesses open and old favorites close.
2022 was my first full year as a Charlotte resident. It was also the first year it really started to feel like home. There’s a lot to love about this city, like the way the skyline changes color almost every night. But there’s also plenty of room for improvement.
What failed in Charlotte in 2022, and what succeeded? Here’s a recap of some of the city’s best and worst this year:
The best
Football (as in soccer). Charlotte FC’s long-awaited inaugural season went even better than expected. The team set the MLS attendance record with a crowd of more than 74,000 at its first home game in March. They even won several big matches, handing Charlotte sports fans victories they don’t often get to experience.
Attending a Charlotte FC match is fun. The fan base has quickly developed its own traditions, like singing the national anthem in unison before every match, that make it feel even more like a family. The Observer’s Alex Zietlow wrote about how the arrival of Charlotte FC has meant a lot to members Charlotte’s Latino community, who say it reminds them of their roots.
Charlotte is a soccer city now. But then again, maybe it always has been.
The UDO. City leaders accomplished a lot this year. They approved social districts, increased wages for city workers and made Charlotte the first city in North Carolina to implement protections against source of income discrimination.
The most significant accomplishment, though, was the passage of the Unified Development Ordinance — a nearly 700-page document that will help determine how Charlotte grows for decades to come.
The UDO effectively ends single-family exclusionary zoning throughout the city, which allows denser housing to be built in most neighborhoods. But it also contains affordable housing incentives, stricter protections for Charlotte’s prized but dwindling tree canopy and revised parking standards.
Representation. In the July municipal election and November’s midterms, historic candidacies and victories helped diversify public bodies that often don’t look enough like the people they serve.
At the city level, at-large councilwoman LaWana Slack-Mayfield became the first out LGBTQ person elected citywide in Charlotte, while Danté Anderson was the first out LGBTQ person elected to District 1.
Also notable: Kyle Luebke was the first openly gay Republican to run for Charlotte City Council. He didn’t win, but his candidacy was historic nonetheless.
Just north of Charlotte, Diamond Staton-Williams became the first Black woman to represent Cabarrus County in the North Carolina General Assembly. Women will make up about 29% of the legislature next year — an all-time high.
Community support. The past year often felt marred in hardship and tragedy, but the power of community helped cut through the darkness.
Charlotte Pride was back in full force for the first time since the pandemic, flooding the streets of Uptown with color. Hundreds of people gathered at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center to protest the downfall of Roe v. Wade in June, and support for local abortion rights organizations surged. Amid the baby formula shortage, StarMed Healthcare gave away formula at no cost to families in need.
Charlotteans wrapped their arms around the families and coworkers of WBTV meteorologist Jason Myers and pilot Chip Tayag, who were tragically killed in a helicopter crash in November. They joined a grieving family in demanding justice for Shanquella Robinson, a 25-year-old Black woman who died under suspicious circumstances during a trip to Mexico.
In a perfect world, people wouldn’t have to come together like this, but there is some comfort to be found in the fact that they do.
The worst
David Tepper. Charlotte FC and Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper is like Charlotte’s least-favorite uncle. He can be a bit prickly, and it seems like he wants to take your money — but he’s part of the family, so we’re kind of stuck with him anyway.
Charlotte FC’s first season was a major success, but the trail of disappointment that Tepper has left elsewhere is quite long. Just ask Panthers fans. Or York County. Or the city officials involved with the Eastland Mall redevelopment.
The problem with David Tepper is not the fact that the Panthers aren’t winning, or that he keeps firing coaches in the middle of a season. It’s more about him letting east Charlotte down in the failed revitalization project, potentially misusing public funds in the failed Rock Hill project and snapping at journalists who ask the tough questions.
But worst of all was Tepper’s eager pursuit of star quarterback Deshaun Watson, who stands accused of sexual misconduct by more than two dozen women. It was a slap in the face to survivors everywhere.
CATS. Where to even start? Ubiquitous (and reliable) public transit is one of the city’s loftiest goals, but the Charlotte Area Transit System can’t even keep up with day-to-day operations.
Bus riders complain about delays, missed trips and frequency, all of which have been affected by mounting driver shortages. Drivers have concerns about wages, attendance and safety, particularly after CATS driver Ethan Rivera was fatally shot on the job earlier this year. CATS drivers have voted down multiple union contracts this year amid ongoing negotiations. If that weren’t enough, CATS is also searching for a new CEO following John Lewis’ resignation.
City leaders are laser-focused on expanding transit in Charlotte, but they haven’t even fixed outstanding issues. The Strategic Mobility Plan, which passed in June, includes plans for several dozen miles of commuter rail, streetcar and light rail and bus transit Without lobbying for a new transit tax, though, Charlotte has no way to pay for it.
Football (the other kind). Some have called it “unwatchable.” Others say “embarrassing.” No matter which way you put it, the Carolina Panthers are stuck in a rut.
They got booed by their own fans in their own stadium. They fired their (bad) head coach. They acquired and released a (bad) quarterback in a span of just five months.
Somehow, despite all of that, the Panthers still have a chance to make the playoffs.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. 2021 was not the greatest year for CMS. Neither was 2022. Public frustration with the school board helped unseat several incumbents in November’s election, and fresh faces now comprise the majority of the board.
The public’s frustration is warranted. CMS finished off the 2021-22 school year with a record number of guns found on school campuses. It also posted its worst reading and math scores on record. Plus, the district is once again without a permanent leader after the school board fired Earnest Winston in April — a move that raised public concerns about transparency as well as competency, considering the board had given Winston a raise the year prior.
And just plain embarrassing: the 46,000 clear backpacks that CMS paid more than $440,000 for in 2021 never actually got distributed to students. The district auctioned them over the summer for a paltry $85,000.
Twenty years from now, there may be little we remember about 2022. In 2023, even, there will almost inevitably be new things to celebrate and complain about. Nonetheless, this year remains an important chapter in Charlotte’s story. May we learn and improve because of it.
This story was originally published December 29, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
