Who Is Charlotte’s City Manager and What Do They Do?

Marcus D. Jones is the Charlotte city manager, the appointed chief executive who runs the city’s day-to-day operations, supervises every municipal department, and administers a $4.49 billion budget for fiscal year 2027.¹ He is not elected. The 12-member City Council hires him, and he answers to that council.

What the City Manager Does

The city manager is Charlotte’s top administrator. The council sets policy; the manager carries it out. In practice that means running the departments residents interact with every day, including Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, the Charlotte Fire Department, Charlotte Water, storm water services, the Charlotte Area Transit System, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, trash collection, and zoning enforcement. All of them report up through the manager’s office.

North Carolina General Statute § 160A-148 lays out the job in detail. The manager is responsible to the council for all municipal affairs placed in the manager’s charge and has eight core duties under state law.² Those duties cover:

Appointing, suspending, and removing all city officers and employees whose positions are not filled by election or otherwise governed by law. The city attorney is the one exception, filled through a separate process.
Directing and supervising every city department, office, and agency, subject to the council’s general direction.
Attending all council meetings and recommending measures the manager considers worthwhile.
Ensuring that state law, the city charter, and all council ordinances and resolutions are faithfully carried out within Charlotte.
Preparing and submitting the annual budget and the capital program to the council.
Submitting a complete report on city finances and administrative activities at the end of each fiscal year and making it available to the public.
Producing any additional reports the council requests about department operations.
Performing whatever other duties the council requires or authorizes.

Charlotte’s charter adds a notification requirement on top of the state list: the manager must tell the council at its next meeting whenever a department head is appointed or removed, and must keep the council “fully advised of the city’s financial condition and its future financial needs.”³

Who Hires and Fires the Manager

Under § 160A-147, the City Council appoints the city manager, who then serves at the council’s pleasure.² The charter requires the appointment to be made “with regard to merit only,” and the manager does not have to be a Charlotte resident when hired. Compensation is set by council ordinance.³

Serving “at the council’s pleasure” means the council can vote to end the manager’s employment at any time. There is no fixed term, no public referendum, and no waiting period. The council conducts regular performance evaluations measuring progress toward strategic goals and compliance with state law. A manager who fails to carry out council directives can expect to face a removal vote.

How the Manager, Mayor, and Council Fit Together

Charlotte uses the council-manager form of government. The elected council approves the budget, passes ordinances, and sets the city’s direction. The appointed manager handles administration.⁴

The mayor presides over council meetings and serves as Charlotte’s ceremonial head and primary spokesperson, but does not have direct executive authority over city departments.⁵ Charlotte’s charter is explicit on this point: neither the mayor, the council, nor any individual council member may direct the conduct of any city employee except through the city manager.³ A council member who wants something changed at a city department talks to the manager, not the department head.

The council itself has 11 members plus the mayor. Four members are elected at-large; the other seven each represent a geographic district.⁶

Budget and Contract Authority

The adopted FY 2027 budget totals $4.49 billion net of transfers and covers general government operations, the Aviation Department, the Charlotte Area Transit System, Charlotte Water, and storm water services.¹ It also includes a five-year Capital Investment Plan covering major infrastructure spending.⁷ Jones presented the FY 2027 budget to the council in May 2026.⁸

On procurement, the manager has delegated authority to approve contracts and contract amendments between $100,000 and $500,000 without a separate council vote on each one. A council resolution adopted in December 2018 established this threshold, and the manager must give the council reports listing every contract approved under it.⁹ Contracts above $500,000 still need a council vote.

About Marcus D. Jones

Jones leads an administration focused on economic mobility and sustainable growth, with stated priorities around infrastructure and workforce housing to keep pace with Charlotte’s growing population.¹⁰

How To Reach the Office and Follow Its Work

The city manager’s office is located at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, 600 East Fourth Street, Charlotte, NC 28202.¹¹ Council meetings and budget presentations stream on the GOV Channel, YouTube, and the GOV Channel Streaming App.⁷ Meeting agendas and minutes documenting the manager’s recommendations and departmental updates are posted on the city’s website, which is the most direct way to track how the administration is handling a specific decision.

1
City of Charlotte. City of Charlotte Adopts Fiscal Year 2027 Budget
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North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina General Code Chapter 160A Article 7 – Administrative Offices
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North Carolina General Assembly. Session Law 1965-713 – An Act to Revise the Charter of the City of Charlotte
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City of Charlotte. Leadership
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City of Charlotte. Role of the Mayor
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City of Charlotte. Charlotte City Council
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City of Charlotte. Strategy and Budget
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City of Charlotte. City Manager Marcus D. Jones
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City of Charlotte. Council Threshold Compliance and Controls
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City of Charlotte. City Manager Marcus D. Jones Bio
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City of Charlotte. Contact Us