Mecklenburg ABC Board members are getting a raise

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The Mecklenburg County Alcoholic Beverage Control Board will see a bump in pay, and according to county commissioner chair George Dunlap, it’s a long time coming.

County commissioners approved the raise for the five-member board of directors at Tuesday night’s meeting. Dunlap says it’s the first time the group has seen a pay increase in his 16 years on the board.

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“When you consider what boards of directors get paid for corporations and organizations who do a lot less, I think a minor increase is certainly warranted,” Dunlap said. “Purely over time, any number of factors, consider the fact they haven’t had an increase. If you think about 20 years and what we’ve given our county staff over 20 years, it still won’t touch it.”

County officials say that the increase for ABC Board members went from $500 to $650 and Board Chair Monifa Drayton pay jumps from $600 to $780.

The stipend funds come from ABC Board revenue. 

When asked about what other local ABC boards are paid, Dunlap said he didn’t have that information and it’s difficult to compare based on responsibilities.

Commissioner Elaine Powell was the only one to object.

Other commissioners mentioned how the ABC Board supports local libraries and education through scholarships.

“I pray we never turn ABC Board over to the state of North Carolina,” Vilma Leake said.

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