Mecklenburg transportation tax bill heads to Senate
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The Gold Line streetcar stops in Uptown. Photo: Alexandria Sands/Axios
Mecklenburg County's transportation bill is expected to advance to the North Carolina Senate after clearing the House this month.
Why it matters: Charlotte's five-year path to a 1-cent roads and transit sales tax has faced uncertainty, but it's finally gaining momentum after years of hangups.
- A final procedural House vote is expected Tuesday, Rep. Tricia Cotham, the bill's sponsor, tells Axios.
Catch up quick: The House voted to pass the bill 102-6, despite some opposition in Matthews over the transit plan not fully funding the eastern portion of the Silver Line light rail.
What's inside: The legislation would authorize the Mecklenburg County Board of County Commissioners to put the 1-cent sales tax referendum on the November election ballot.
- If passed, a new 27-member authority would ensure that 40% of the funding is allocated to rail, 40% to roads, and 20% to buses.
What they're saying: State lawmakers acknowledge the decision to approve the tax is ultimately up to local voters.
- "We're out of land in Mecklenburg. Our residents are now moving out of county so they can have affordable homes, but they're commuting Uptown," Rep. Laura Budd said before the House vote. "We can't keep growing our state if we don't put in a mass transportation system."
- Cotham has also highlighted that this legislation could work as a framework for other counties that want to implement a transportation tax.
The other side: Matthews commissioner Ken McCool appeared in Raleigh recently to oppose the current transportation plan. He subsequently announced he would challenge Cotham in the 2026 election.
- "The county and regional partners have spent over $40 million in taxpayer dollars designing Silver Line east," McCool said during the finance committee hearing. "This plan doesn't build that rail and wastes those tax dollars."