Research shows biz boom might not be Foxx's handiwork

CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — Charlotte mayor Anthony Foxx may be taking credit for more business growth than he should.

Foxx takes credit for almost 1,000 businesses moving to Charlotte or expanding here during his term.

"We have had 968 businesses open their doors," he said during a recent debate with Scott Stone.

However, Stone kept challenging it. "Some of the numbers he had nothing to do with. They just happened to come up on his watch. 
And he's taking credit for it," Stone told Eyewitness News.

So Eyewitness News asked Foxx for the names of all 968 businesses and then went through the list to see which candidate is right.

Technically, many of the businesses did move here or expand on Foxx's watch, but almost all of the ones checked by Eyewitness News were planning those moves well before he ever took office, including Electrolux, Casual Elegance, Southside Constructors, Bank of the Ozarks, and The Cut barbershop.

The scrapbook store, Family Memories, even signed its lease before Foxx became mayor.

Some of the businesses didn't move here or expand at all. ALRO Steel, Belly Elan Maternity, AGM Imports and BigNoise web design were already here, and just moved in-town. Yet, they all made Foxx's list.

Then, there's Bluestar Silicones.

It moved, but not to Charlotte, to York, S.C. Foxx's team still put it on the list and even gave a Charlotte address. So Eyewitness News went there to double-check and found a totally different company.

Eyewitness News wanted to go over the list with Foxx, show him what Eyewitness News found, and give him a chance to respond, but his team said no, that Foxx is sticking with the list, taking credit for all of it.

WSOC