When it comes to Charlotte's tax dollars, the mayor is pretty clear that not every community has a fair chance at winning.

In his State of the City speech Monday, Mayor Anthony Foxx blamed hesitation on spending tax dollars in east and west Charlotte on low expectations.

He implied council members, even developers, are less willing to invest there.

Some people feel north and south Charlotte get all the new shopping, jobs and tax dollars.

Council member John Autry, who represents east Charlotte, put it another way.

He does not see a disparity in spending on roads and sidewalks, but what he calls transformative projects that would lift up the community.

"We look at our neighbors in east and west Charlotte, and we can't make ourselves believe that jobs can be created," said Foxx.

Strong words, but Germain Blackmon does believe. His family just remodeled their old restaurant on Beatties Ford Road.

"(We're going to) make it look better and keep it in the family," he said.

They chose to keep it in what's now branded as Historic West End despite feeling ignored at budget time.

"Tax dollars come to the west side secondary, not primary," said Renne Johnson. "I have been working hard to change that low expectation, even from citizens."

Councilman James Mitchell said Foxx is right, Charlotte is one city and all of it needs to be developed.

"We think the economic empowerment is coming. We need to ask public and private developers what it would take to get you to come here," said Mitchell.

Carl Frank thinks better transit would get them tocome. He was mentioned in Foxx's State of the City speech, too. Once homeless, he is now in taxpayer-assisted housing -- an example, said Foxx, of investment in poor neighborhoods paying off.

"It would bring more people in, diversity. A lot of people do not go east and west," said Frank.

Mitchell and other city and state leaders have a meeting about economic development in east and west Charlotte Wednesday night at Johnson C. Smith at 6:30 p.m. in Biddle Hall.

The meeting is open to the public.