Victoria Watlington

Description:

Watlington’s campaign emphasizes systems-level thinking in city planning. Her priorities include creating safe and stable neighborhoods, fostering inclusive community engagement, and ensuring equitable access to opportunity through economic mobility. She focuses on connecting the city via strategic mobility plans, infrastructure upgrades, and investments that reflect local community input. In May, Watlington recently claimed there was a “brazen disregard for dissenting opinions and the rule of law” during a closed session meeting in which council members authorized a settlement with Charlotte chief of police Johnny Jennings. Mayor Vi Lyles, joined by several other council members, objected to the allegations, prompting Watlington to soften her language saying she wanted the city to conduct itself with “truth, transparency, respect and authenticity.”  Watlington is in a bloc of council members who are generally more skeptical of city initiatives and development projects than the council majority.