Peacock just barely secured Monday’s vote, which initially came down to a tie between him and Krista Bokhari.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Edwin Peacock III was officially sworn in to the Charlotte City Council on Tuesday afternoon. Mayor Vi Lyles, who was the tie-breaking vote for his appointment, led the informal ceremony.
“My biggest priority is going to be council’s priorities, which obviously start with public safety, economic development, transportation, housing and neighborhood development and the environment,” Peacock said Tuesday.
For the next seven months, he will represent District 6, ending a weekslong selection process triggered by the departure of Tariq Bokhari, who stepped down from the role to become deputy administrator of the Federal Transit Administration in the Trump administration.
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Peacock is exactly who the council said they were looking for: someone with experience who has no plan to run in November. He previously served on the City Council from 2007 to 2011, the last Republican elected in Charlotte as an at-large member. He also ran for mayor twice.
He currently runs an insurance firm, which he says helps inform his perspective about affordable housing. However, he says this council’s biggest hurdle will likely be transit and getting approval for a one-cent sales tax to get on the ballot.
“The issue that we know that’s before us is clearly going to be transit,” Peacock said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues, working with state legislators, and clearly working with citizens who want to see Charlotte be congestion-free and obviously have a really highly mobile city.”
Peacock just barely secured Monday’s vote, which initially came down to a tie between him and Krista Bokhari, Tariq Bokhari’s wife.
“I don’t judge anything about last night’s vote at all,” Peacock said. “Those are simply votes.”
Mayor Vi Lyles sent WCNC Charlotte a statement about her tiebreaking vote.
“I’m grateful for all the candidates that took the time to apply and go through this process,” the statement reads. “I spoke with Mr. Peacock and he’s ready to serve District 6. We’ve got a lot of work to do, and I look forward to working with him in the coming weeks and months.”
Krista Bokhari made headlines earlier this month when she told WCNC Charlotte she wants CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings to resign. This comes after the city allegedly settled with Jennings because of text messages Tariq Bokhari sent during his tenure. The state auditor announced Tuesday that he is investigating the reported settlement, urging Lyles to disclose the details.
Bokhari acknowledged that speaking out may hurt her chances for this position, but that the situation increases her drive for the position. She has expressed interest in running for the seat in November.
In a Facebook post Monday night, she said that she was disappointed by the results but that her work isn’t done.
Peacock reiterated Tuesday that he has no plans to run and hopes his brief appointment is an opportunity to get the council back on track.
“At times, council can get off track, and as we’ve seen over the last couple of weeks, tend to turn inward when you really need to look outward,” Peacock said. “Right now, that’s what we need to do. Look more toward the future and which direction we know that we should be going.”
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