Supporters of a Mecklenburg County proposal to raise sales taxes have turned to not one, not two, but three political consulting firms to help build support for a referendum this fall. The firms are mapping strategy for the newly formed Partnership for a Better Mecklenburg.
The campaign will be supported by private contributions. Executives from the Arts & Science Council — the nonprofit that lobbied the county commissioners board to put the tax hike on the ballot — helped create Partnership for a Better Mecklenburg. Local architect and former county commissioner Darrel Williamswill chair the group.
Williams served on the county board for four consecutive terms beginning in 1994 and ending in 2002. Since then, he has remained heavily involved in civic affairs, including boards governing Central Piedmont Community College, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation and The Nature Conservancy.