A N.C. House of Representatives committee moved Wednesday to advance a bill ing a one percent sales tax that would fund billions of dollars of new transportation projects in Mecklenburg County.
The House Transportation Committee voted in favor of House Bill 948, which would put a referendum on the ballot allowing voters to decide whether the new sales tax is necessary. If approved, it would bring total sales tax in the county to 8.25%.
That new revenue is expected to pay for about half of Charlotte's $25 billion transit plan.
Rep. Tricia Cotham, R-Mecklenburg, is the bill's primary sponsor and said she s the compromise because of the roughly $5.5 million it offers each of the county's smaller municipalities annually for road projects.
"We all know road money is hard. It is political. This creates a very tailored space from the funds coming within Mecklenburg County and must go out. Everything is very secure in that process," Cotham said.
Funds would be overseen by a new 27-member transit authority, mostly made up of appointments made by local governments but also including one each from the governor, speaker of the House and Senate leader.
House Majority Leader Brenden Jones, R-Columbus, expressed his for the legislation on Wednesday.
"It's a good step forward to doing right by Mecklenburg. The state can't continue the path that we continue, we can't afford to fund everywhere. So this is a great opportunity to give the citizens of Mecklenburg an opportunity to have a say in funding their transportation needs," Jones said in committee Wednesday.
Tuesday's changes bring the bill more in line with a Senate proposal, which also directed 40% of the would-be new revenue to roads, 40% to rail and 20% to public transit. An earlier proposal from Cotham directed 40% of the revenue to roads and 60% to any other transportation project, which would have allowed 60% to be used on light rail.
Most of Mecklenburg county's municipalities the plan, but the town of Matthews opposed it because it would likely not pay for a dedicated light rail line between the town and Uptown Charlotte.
Asked about Matthews' concerns, Jones said legislative leaders had been discussing the proposal with town representatives as recently as Wednesday morning and, he believes, are close to reaching a compromise.
"We've got a commitment to work with them. They're not here today to speak against the bill because they have a commitment from us to go forward with them. And I think we will find a happy medium," Jones said.
Rep. Becky Carney, D-Mecklenburg, thanked Cotham and local leaders for their work and urged lawmakers to allow the referendum to appear on the ballot.
"Yes, we are an economic driver, but we are for the state and we're asking the state to with us today and say that we may go back to our citizens and ask for them to decide the direction they want to go with our transportation issues," Carney said.
If the bill becomes law, the referendum could appear on the ballot as soon as November 4, Cotham said Wednesday.
Several Charlotte-area business leaders spoke in favor of the legislation at Wednesday's committee meeting, including Ned Curran, chair of Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina's board of trustees.
The tax, Curran argued, would be borne not only by people who live in Charlotte but also by tourists and people who cross the state line from South Carolina to work in the city.
"We greatly appreciate the opportunity and, if allowed, this referendum will overwhelmingly," Curran told legislators.
Later Wednesday, Speaker of the House Destin Hall told reporters that the House Republican caucus hasn't voted on House Bill 948 but that there's interest in it among Cotham and the chamber's Transportation chairs.
"It has a chance. It's one where, right now, I think it's got at least a 50/50 shot of ing the House," said Hall, R-Caldwell.
It is likely, Hall added, that clarity on the bill's chances will come within weeks.
The bill will now head to the House Finance Committee. It would need to through at least one more committee, the full House and then the Senate before heading to Gov. Josh Stein.
