Headlines

$230,000 to Say Goodbye: What Charlotte Paid to Make Patrick Baker Disappear

Nell Thomas06 mins

Vi Lyles’ Secret Sessions Now Come with a Price Tag

A Severance So Sweet You’d Think He Resigned as Queen

💸 Charlotte City Attorney Gets the Boot—With a $230K Golden Parachute

By Nell Thomas | Strolling Ballantyne

Let’s call it what it is: hush money, Charlotte-style.

City Attorney Patrick Baker walked out of government HQ with over $230,000 in payouts, and Charlotte taxpayers are just now learning about it—months after the ink dried and the doors quietly shut behind him.

According to public records, Baker received $151,893.30, half his annual salary, and another $85,733.83 for unused sick and vacation time. The official label on the six-figure send-off? Redacted. Because of course it was.

So what’s the scoop? Turns out the real drama started when Baker had the gall to do his job—specifically, releasing public records to WFAE, Charlotte’s NPR affiliate. That reportedly irked Mayor Vi Lyles and the council majority, who responded not with transparency but with weeks of closed-door “personnel” sessions. No announcements. No press releases. Just a quiet vote to “move on,” followed by a quiet vote to bring in a temp.

Let’s do the math: Baker made nearly $300K a year, had a 401(k), cell phone, car stipend, and most importantly—an “at-will” contract. That means Charlotte could have fired him anytime, with or without cause. So why the bonus round?

Because when your lawyer makes the council uncomfortable, you don’t just fire him. You pay him to never speak again.

Meanwhile, Anthony Fox (not to be confused with former Mayor Foxx) stepped in January 1st with a cool $168,450 salary on a six-month contract. One lawyer out, another in—smooth transition, no explanation.

And if you’re wondering why all this was done during a zoning meeting, it’s because nothing screams “accountability” like slipping a severance vote between property tax hikes and rezoning maps.

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☕ Signature:
I’m Nell Thomas. I drink my coffee black, my gossip hot, and my politics local. Find me prowling zoning meetings like a cat with a notepad. When I’m not writing for Strolling Ballantyne, you’ll find me digging through agendas at cltmercury.com—also known as The Charlotte Mercury.

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