CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- A new report from the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor said the City of Charlotte needs to be more transparent and reconsider how it uses public money, after a $305,000 settlement was quietly paid to CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings.
The audit, released on Friday, was launched after concerns from residents and the local media about how and why the settlement was handled behind closed doors.
The money was paid out several months ago as part of a separation agreement with Jennings, who has since publicly announced his retirement. The report revealed that the Charlotte City Council discussed the settlement in closed-door meetings and never formally disclosed the payout amount in its public meeting minutes, something required under state law.
It wasn’t until the state auditor’s office got involved that the details were shared publicly.
The $305,000 settlement included:
$175,000 in severance pay $45,699 in a retention bonus $45,284 in extra vacation days $14,017 in a retroactive pay raise $25,000 to cover Jennings’s legal feesMost of the money, roughly $280,000, came from the city’s General Fund, which is normally used for day-to-day expenses like salaries and city services, OSA said. Only the legal fees were paid from the Risk Management Fund, which is meant to handle unexpected costs like lawsuits.
MORE: CMPD Police Chief Jennings announces year-end retirement amid backlash over $305K settlement with Charlotte City CouncilThe city says it used "operational savings" to cover the cost and did not include it in the official budget.
Concerns and recommendations
The audit didn’t find illegal activity, but it did raise red flags about transparency and budgeting practices. The report made three recommendations:
Be more transparent with settlementsThe city should clearly report the amount and terms of any employee settlements in its public records, even if some personnel details remain confidential. Release closed-session minutes soonerThe minutes from the meetings where the settlement was discussed are still sealed, more than four months later. The city is being urged to release them in a timely manner so the public can understand what happened. Rethink use of public funds for settlementsThe audit questions why most of the money came from the General Fund instead of the Risk Management Fund, which is designed for unexpected costs like legal settlements.Read the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA) special report below:
North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA) ReportDownloadHence then, the article about audit finds charlotte lacked transparency in 305 000 cmpd chief settlement was published today ( ) and is available on QUEEN CITY NEWS ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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