Victoria Watlington
Charlotte City Council At-Large

Find out more: https://winwithwatlington.com/

Candidate's Questionnaire Answers:

1. How will you ensure LGBTQ+ people are fairly represented on advisory boards and commissions? Do you support the creation of an LGBTQ+ Liaison on staff to better communicate and represent LGBTQ+ issues within the City Manager's office?
   I supported the addition of a LGBTQ+ Chamber appointee to the Business Advisory Committee. As more opportunities like this become available, I am happy to support. Moreso, as we continue ongoing connection, I'll have an opportunity to meet and support more great leaders in their respective places who identify at LGBTQ+, as a matter of course.
   I'm supportive of exploring how to best represent LGBTQ+ issues at the City; I'm keen to avoid prematurely prescribing a solution ahead of truly understanding the gap and restructuring of the DEI office already in progress.

2. What will you do (or have you done) to address the affordable housing crisis that plagues Charlotte? What plans do you have to ensure Charlotte develops sustainably for future generations?
   Have championed the West Side Community Land Trust and secured funding for their operations, led the Brookhill effort to earmark and commit $3.5MM in order to preserve affordability on the redeveloped site. Redirecting Housing Trust Fund investments to home ownership opportunities, utilizing public land for affordable housing development, negotiating for affordable housing in rezonings, working with our neighboring counties on business recruitment in conjunction with transportation plans in order to put the jobs where the infrastructure is, and explore teamforce housing in which employers help build housing for their employees. Also, we are in the middle of our anti-displacement initiative that I personally advocated for during the 2040 Comp Plan negotiations to update our tools to enable people to stay in their homes (rehab, tax abatement, etc).

3. What actions do you support (or have you supported) to ensure people's jobs pay a wage sufficient enough to live and thrive in Charlotte? What next steps and investments do you support to strengthen the Corridors of Opportunity?
   I will continue to support and advocate for high quality working conditions, competitive wages, and career pathways (tuition reimbursement, internal workforce development, etc). I've supported wage increases in every budget since I've been on council. I led the development on the community side of the West Blvd Corridor Playbook, the pilot initiative that led to Corridors of Opportunity. Through CoO, we've invested in infrastructure, grassroots organizations, transportation, and local businesses. I've pushed for wages and career pathways in business recruitment packages, and have supported the unions by sending letters to employers and participating in the campaign for the last union organization (SEIU).
   
   To strengthen Corridors, I'm proud to have pushed for nuisance abatement, which led to seizure of and a formal RFP for the West Bvd Shops, to ensure residents have broader options to turn a once high-crime parcel into a community-led revitalization catalyst. I hope to expand this approach as the remaining corridors are implemented. In addition, I look to continue working with the business sector to tailor workforce development and business investment programs to address existing gaps along the employment spectrum (start-up capital, ensuring certification program include soft skills and that they are matched to current employer needs, more grassroots outreach to increase awareness of existing programs).

4. What specific actions do you support (or have you supported) to address the racial inequities and lack of economic mobility in Charlotte?
   Being that the crux of racism is economic, much of what I have mentioned above applies. I will continue to support and advocate for high quality working conditions, competitive wages, and career pathways (tuition reimbursement, internal workforce development, etc). I've supported wage increases in every budget since I've been on council. I led the development on the community side of the West Blvd Corridor Playbook, the pilot initiative that led to Corridors of Opportunity. Through CoO, we've invested in infrastructure, grassroots organizations, transportation, and local businesses. I've pushed for wages and career pathways in business recruitment packages, and have supported the unions by sending letters to employers and participating in the campaign for the last union organization (SEIU).
   
   To strengthen Corridors, I'm proud to have pushed for nuisance abatement, which led to seizure of and a formal RFP for the West Bvd Shops, to ensure residents have broader options to turn a once high-crime parcel into a community-led revitalization catalyst. I hope to expand this approach as the remaining corridors are implemented. In addition, I look to continue working with the business sector to tailor workforce development and business investment programs to address existing gaps along the employment spectrum (start-up capital, ensuring certification program include soft skills and that they are matched to current employer needs, more grassroots outreach to increase awareness of existing programs).
   
   In addition, as the Great Neighborhoods Committee chair, I have requested a deep dive into the CRC, which will be before us again this fall, with recommended changes to increase effectiveness as per its original intent.

5. What actions do you support (or have you supported) to create a transportation network that provides people with efficient, affordable, and timely options to get around the city? What steps do you believe are necessary to address the inefficiencies and safety issues with CATS?
   pushed for $14.5MM in congestion mitigation funds at key intersections. advocated for infrastructure focus and project identification across the city, by district, in order to conceptualize the need and corresponding cost as a preliminary step to creating a funding strategy (project needs identified and presented to Council earlier this year). I support the work currently underway to deep dive CATS, and look forward to continued improvements. Going forward, in short, we need a transit authority. We are a region, and the City of Charlotte cannot bear the brunt of infrastructure investment alone. If we want to grow and also enable a sustainable cots of living, we have to think more broadly than our city limits. We have to form an authority so we can go to the state and receive permission to generate revenue that is equitably distributed, and to give us an opportunity to attract federal funds.