County manager advises patience as probes into CMS finances continue

CHARLOTTE — Mecklenburg County has no financial authority or oversight over Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, County Manager Mike Bryant told county commissioners.

However, Bryant explained that the county has the legal right to request financial statements from the district, which CMS is required to provide because the county provides hundreds of millions of dollars to the school system annually.

The update came after former CMS Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill sent an email to Bryant in one of her last acts in office. Hill informed the county manager that funds being examined by the State Bureau of Investigation involved money provided by the county.

In response, county commissioners submitted a list of questions regarding the county’s authority to review CMS financial statements, recover misused funds, and adjust future funding allocations to the school district.

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Four separate agencies are investigating CMS: the State Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State Auditor and the State Department of Public Instruction.

County funding sent to CMS annually supports operations including teacher pay and charter schools.

Mecklenburg County Manager Bryant advised commissioners to allow law enforcement and state officials to complete their reviews before taking action.

“I recommend that the board allow these pending investigations to conclude,” Bryant said. “I realize there is no timeline by which they will be concluded, and I certainly respect the urgency to act now. However, it is imperative that we remember that until proven otherwise, these are allegations.”

County leaders have also reached out directly to school system officials. County Commissioner Mark Jerrell said county officials recently conferred with CMS leaders.

“We recently met with the leadership of CMS, myself, the chair, the manager; the purpose of that meeting was to, one, make sure we keep the lines of communication open,” Jerrell said.

Findings from the investigations will help county officials determine their next steps. County Manager Bryant is scheduled to meet with State Auditor Dave Boliek on Oct. 21 to receive an update on the status of the state audit.