The biggest supporters and critics of Mecklenburg's 1% transit sales tax referendum

✔️ North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein

What he's saying: Stein announced his endorsement of the tax on Sept. 30.

• "With so many people settling in Mecklenburg County, now is the time to make the critical infrastructure investments to keep the county a great place to live, work, and raise a family," Stein said in a press release. "This referendum will enhance safety, reduce congestion, and keep the region moving and thriving."

🚫 Jennifer Roberts, former Charlotte mayor

What she's saying: Roberts, the former mayor of Charlotte, considers the tax "regressive."

• "The pain is going to be felt by hourly workers," Roberts said during a Mecklenburg County hearing. "They're going to pay the majority, a bigger proportion of their incomes, for this and yet get the least out of it the way this is structured now."

✔️ Charlotte Regional Business Alliance

What they're saying: Charlotte Regional Business Alliance's research finds an average of 157 people move to the Charlotte region per day, up from 117 in 2023. The business group is leading the campaign for the tax, arguing that it's necessary to keep up with growth and crucial for job access.

• The Alliance has aimed to raise $3 million for its "Yes for Meck" campaign. Its slogan is "Faster Commutes, Less Congestion."
• Atrium Health CEO Gene Woods and CLT Alliance's board chair David Longo, who's also CEO of CBI Workplace Solutions, are co-chairs of the campaign. Former Mayor Harvey Gantt also has vouched for the tax alongside the Alliance.

🚫 Braxton Winston, president of NC State AFL-CIO

What he's saying: Former Charlotte City Council member Winston calls the referendum "a bait-and-switch of the highest magnitude."

• "$3 million for one campaign in Mecklenburg County is an obscene amount of money," Winston said. "It shows that they don't have a good product, that they have to spend a lot of money putting makeup on this pig to sell to folks, especially when you don't have an organized effort against it."

✔️ Anthony Foxx, former U.S. transportation secretary

What they're saying: Foxx, the former mayor of Charlotte, told the Sarah Stevenson Tuesday Forum during a July appearance that he's a "yes" vote on Mecklenburg County's transportation plan. But, he added, leaders should think carefully about who they want to appoint to the 27-member transit authority, which will manage the spending.

• "You're not going to find a perfect transit setup. There's not a perfect governance model. There's not a perfect funding stream," Foxx said. "Nothing is perfect about it. But don't let perfect be the enemy of the good."

🚫 Rev. William Barber and Rev. Ricky Woods

What they're saying: "We're against constantly being taxed in a way that hurts the poor and working poor while the wealthy and the greedy never pay their fair share," Rev. Barber said during a Sunday guest sermon at First Baptist Church.

• Rev. Ricky Woods, the church's pastor, also opposes the transportation plan because no funds are allocated for affordable housing, and he argues road costs are supposed to be the state's responsibility.
• Mecklenburg County Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell has also made similar arguments, suggesting the tax "represents a huge shift away from federal and state funding" and pushes costs onto everyday people.

✔️ Leading on Opportunity

What they're saying: Sherri Chisholm, Leading on Opportunity executive director, told the Observer she believes the tax addresses Barber's concerns "by paving the way for expanded transit access and stronger connections to jobs, education, and healthcare, which are critical to advancing economic mobility."

• "The transportation tax does not fix all of the issues that need to be addressed," she added, "but it is a very strong start and one that we must support."

🚫 Matthews Mayor John Higdon

What he's saying: Matthews Mayor John Higdon has opposed the tax plan because it likely won't generate enough money to build the full Silver Line beyond Bojangles Coliseum to Matthews. The current plan limits the amount of revenue that can be spent on rail to 40%.

• In recent months, Higdon said he's since moved on from the issue and will let the people decide.
• "I don't want to continue to be the lone ranger shouting down the transit tax," he told WCNC.

✔️ Sustain Charlotte

What they're saying: Sustain Charlotte, a growth and environmental advocacy group, is a strong backer of the referendum.

• "The future of Charlotte Mecklenburg depends on choices we make right now," executive director Shannon Binns said at the "Yes For Meck" campaign launch. "We can build a transportation system that truly reflects our values of equity, sustainability, and opportunity, or we can leave too many families waiting for buses that do not come, navigating streets that are not safe, and breathing air that is not clean."

🚫 Action NC

What they're saying: This organization, whose mission is economic equity, says this tax uses "working families like an ATM."

• They argue local leaders should consider other funding sources, such as corporations, developers and industries paying their "fair share."
• Action NC's website states the biggest winners of the tax will be "the banks that will finance billions in borrowing, the corporations that profit from public contracts, and the large developers whose projects rise in value when taxpayers foot the bill for new infrastructure."
• It continues, "Every day citizens will pay more at the register."