CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Is the Republican National Committee scoping out Charlotte as it searches for a 2020 convention site? The speculation comes as city officials are now preparing a bid to bring the event to the Queen City.

There are several reports citing sources that members of an RNC site survey team are in Charlotte checking out the city. But, Mecklenburg County Republican insiders we spoke to tell us they haven't heard about such a team being in town.

"I don't know who's making these decisions,” said republican strategist and fundraiser Larry Shaheen. “Nobody knows. They're doing it in this locked room and there's only so many Republicans in the area. To not involve the folks that have been here and involved in a long time, I don't know."

Larry Shaheen has been a Republican strategist and fundraiser in Mecklenburg County since 2009. He say he got a lot of calls for confirmation but that he has no knowledge of an RNC team being in town.

Initially, officials with the city and the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority had until last Tuesday to put in a bid to host the 2020 RNC convention. However, state republican party officials later confirmed that deadline had been extended.  Monday, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said it's still a work in progress.

Shaheen said it doesn't appear city nor CRVA officials are including Republican insiders who could be helpful with the bid.

“The question is going to be who they are helping to make that bid is whether or not Charlotte and CRVA is gonna be good having promoters who are pro-Trump and pro-Republican if the folks that ran the 2012 bid are the ones bidding, I can guarantee you they're not gonna get it, cause the folks putting it together won't really speak Republican."

We reached out to a number of our Republican contacts at the city, county and state level. They either didn't get back to us or simply said they don't know.