The clear winners last Tuesday were the current (and future) residents of Mecklenburg County when they voted 52% to 48% to approve a one-cent sales tax increase that will fund future transportation and infrastructure projects. The measure also includes a provision that creates a Transit Authority to manage and direct those funds. While the vote was a bit closer than expected, it established a mandate that Mecklenburg County residents want elected officials to focus on meaningful infrastructure improvements as an essential government function.
So, where do we go from here?
The Transit Authority Board of Trustees will consist of 27 members appointed by Mecklenburg County, the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg towns (Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, Pineville, Mint Hill, and Matthews), the Governor, and the General Assembly. Charlotte will appoint 12 members and Mecklenburg County will appoint 6. Each town, as well as the Governor, also receive one appointment as does the Governor, the Senate President Pro Tem, and the Speaker of the House.
To date, the City of Charlotte has published a list of its 27 finalists for 12 positions:
Architecture: Sagar Rathie, James Scruggs, and Keith Williams.
Economic Development: Todd Collins, Joel Ford, and Scott Harris.
Engineering: Martina Ackridge, Robert Hillman, and Tim Sittema.
Finance: Emma Allen, William Cameron Pruette, and Gary Young.
Government: Julie Eiselt, Colette Forrest, and Marjorie Molina.
Law: Frank Emory, Jay Ferguson, and Gerald Patton.
Logistics: Juan Euvin, Stephanie Hand, and Jocelyn Jones Nolley.
Public Transportation: Shannon Binns, David Howard, and Corine Mack.
Urban Planning: Lee Cochran, Towan Dicks, and Katrina Young
Interviews will be held on November 12 from 12:00 to 3:00 and again from 4:00 to 6:00. Additional interviews will be conducted from 5:00 to 9:00 pm on November 13 and 8:00 am to 12:00 pm on November 14. The final time slot will be from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on Saturday, November 15.
Mecklenburg County and the towns have not yet published finalists for their selections, but we anticipate the county embarking on the interview process sometime next week.
My Take: The passage of this important transportation referendum was the result of the efforts of many organizations and individuals who understood that we can’t maintain a great quality of life and go after the economic development opportunities we seek, without addressing our inadequate infrastructure. We have a pretty good thing going here in our region. If we want to keep that vitality, it’s essential we plan and implement multiple ways for people to easily get from where they are to where they need to be.
I don’t think there are many that get excited about a tax increase, but a majority of residents voted affirmatively to make this investment in the community. Fortunately, we are well positioned to track how these dollars are spent and this will be a major priority for REBIC, and our members, moving forward.
I’d also like to acknowledge an individual who played a significant role in making this happen. Larry Shaheen, REBIC Counsel with McIntosh Law, worked tirelessly to inform and educate leaders throughout the state, and across party lines, by vigorously promoting an idea whose time had come. His direct efforts ensured a huge victory. Thanks, Larry. This is a big deal.
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On October 28, Iredell EDC once again convened their Development Council at the Statesville Country Club. | The Development Council was recently created to provide local developers, contractors, and industry partners with a forum to share insights and exchange ideas that solidify the foundation of Iredell County.
Craig Goodson, Director of Economic Development, and Evan Day, Research Analyst, shared a brief overview of development projects in Iredell County and the state of North Carolina before diving into what is becoming an increasingly hot topic locally, Data Centers.
Goodson very carefully detailed the distinct types of data centers as well as the data center projects recently announced in North Carolina and the Charlotte Region. He then turned the conversation over to Ron Smith, City Manager for the City of Statesville, who openly discussed his most recent experience with the Statesville City Council’s approval of the Compass Data Center. Goodson and Smith then fielded questions from the group regarding the approval process and how Iredell EDC contributed to the education process.
While this is the second time Iredell EDC has their Development Council, it is quickly gaining traction with its intended audiences, much like the Industry Leaders Council, which is open to business and industry leaders to freely share the trends and developments that impact their businesses and ability to grow successfully in Iredell County.
Both the Development Council and the Industry Leaders Council are just two of the programs Iredell EDC has established to help promote Iredell County as the best place for business, life, and location.
To learn more about the Development Council and how you can be included, contact Craig Goodson, [email protected]
My Take: You may be thinking to yourself, “data centers, really? What does this have to do with real estate development, building, and sales?” Well, I’ll tell you. As humans, some of us have a hard time prioritizing. We want it all. The fact is, if you want high speed data, you are doing things that require a lot of data storage, and if you are experimenting or working with Artificial Intelligence (AI) then you ought to have an interest in the types of facilities that make those actions possible. Similarly, data centers use a lot of power and water. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but we will have to figure out how to obtain those water resources and boost our power output if those technologies are going to remain a priority. There will be tradeoffs as there are with anything in life. I just hope we are willing to do the research and lead with the facts to figure out how best to incorporate technology advances as they come along.
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