The Mecklenburg County Commission’s $2.5 billion budget vote was disrupted last night when protestors released a swarm of live crickets inside the chamber. The group responsible for the release was opposed to funding for the Central Piedmont Community College Law Enforcement Training Center.
The unexpected incident forced a pause in the meeting while cleaning staff vacuumed the insects.
After the bugs incident, the county released a public statement saying in part;
“Mecklenburg County condemns any inappropriate or out-of-order comments, or other disruptive tactics, during Board of County Commissioners’ meetings or any other public meeting. Civil public participation is a bedrock of democracy. The Board has made it clear that the abuse of public participation will not be tolerated.“
Despite the bugs, Mecklenburg County commissioners passed the budget, which includes a property tax rate increase of 0.96 cents per $100 of assessed home value.
For the average Mecklenburg County homeowner—based on a median home price of $377,000—that equates to an additional $36 annually.
