James Mitchell Jr. Photo Via James Mitchell For Charlotte Facebook
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Councilmember James “Smuggie” Mitchell Jr. announced his resignation from the Charlotte City Council Monday morning, according to officials.
The resignation goes into effect 5 p.m. Monday. The initial announcement of the resignation was made on social media by Mayor Pro Tem Julie Eiselt.
“His experience and service to the city of Charlotte will be missed,” Eiselt said.
The councilman was serving his third term as an at-large council member. He previously served from 1999 to 2013 as the District Two representative.
Mitchell Jr. said the decision to resign after 20 years of service is because he plans to focus more time and energy on business interests and other pursuits. He is the new minority owner and president of R.J. Leeper Construction.
“Stepping away from City Council is an incredibly tough decision for me because serving the citizens of Charlotte over parts of four decades has been one of my greatest joys and privileges,” said Mitchell. “But doing so will allow me to focus fully on growing R.J. Leeper as a vehicle for creating opportunity in our community, especially for people of color.”
Mitchell recently was named president of R.J. Leeper Construction, a full-service minority construction management and general contracting company located in Charlotte, according to a news release. The company was acquired by Bright Hope Capital LLC, a new investment firm that aims to significantly develop and grow Black- and Hispanic-owned businesses in the Charlotte region.
According to a news release, during Mitchell’s time as a City Council member he worked to create job opportunities and was a strong advocate for economic development. He also worked on numerous neighborhood improvement projects.
Among his accomplishments are the development of Northlake Mall, naming of Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard and the Mt. Holly-Huntersville intersection improvement project. He also helped bring the National League of Cities National Conference and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) basketball tournament to Charlotte, resulting in millions of dollars in impact on the local economy.
“While I’m sad to say goodbye, I leave with joy and satisfaction knowing we have accomplished so much together on this journey,” said Mitchell. “I am grateful for the exceptional work the Council and city employees do to make Charlotte a great place to live, work and play, and it has been my greatest privilege to support those efforts.”
