For several years now there has been an ongoing dialogue among government leaders about how best to meet our transportation and mobility challenges within Mecklenburg County and throughout the region. Last Friday an initial agreement was reached, and the following statement was issued to the media:
The Managers of Mecklenburg County, the City of Charlotte, and a majority of the six towns included within the County have successfully concluded meetings leading to the preparation of draft legislation enabling a countywide referendum on a one-percent local sales tax to fund mobility initiatives countywide, and the ability to establish a regional transit Authority.
Elected officials for each jurisdiction will now consider this draft legislation and after review will be asked to pass resolutions supporting its advancement to the North Carolina General Assembly. If approved, the request will be formally submitted to the North Carolina General Assembly where local government, business, and community leaders hope to gain adoption of enabling legislation to allow the voters of Mecklenburg County to determine their transportation future by making a choice for increased regional transportation infrastructure investments for both roads and transit.
If the referendum is authorized, local leaders will engage the broader community about how previous mobility plans, including those for expansion of our public transit network, may be modified to match available resources and support the continued growth our region is experiencing. That process will be essential to winning broad public support for the mobility plan. This is a vital step toward meeting our region’s numerous mobility needs over the coming decades.
As the statement suggests, the draft will now be circulated among the elected bodies of each jurisdiction for final approval. REBIC is fully supportive of the direction outlined above and that is reflected in this statement of support:
“The Real Estate & Building Industry Coalition (REBIC) commends the Managers of Mecklenburg County, the City of Charlotte, and the towns of Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Mint Hill, and Pineville for their efforts in preparing draft legislation enabling a countywide referendum to fund mobility initiatives and establish a regional transit Authority.
This is an important first step in addressing our long-term transportation challenges. We strongly encourage the elected leadership of each jurisdiction to consider the merits of the draft legislation, weigh benefits of the package and potential outcomes, and ultimately adopt a position of support for the measure.
We embrace the opportunity to engage with Members of the North Carolina General Assembly to promote this effort and look forward to advocating for its passage on the November 2025 ballot. This proposal comes after years of negotiation and debate, and we look forward to the elements of the plan coming to fruition and ultimately achieving its intended outcome.”
— Maren Brisson-Kuester, REBIC 2024 Chair
My take: This is a big deal! After several years of back-and-forth conversations and appearing to be paralyzed by indecision, we appear to be on the cusp of a solution that gets us on our way to Raleigh with a proposal. I’m thrilled that this seems to be a united effort to improve mobility first within the county, and ultimately throughout the region. A refreshing example of civic leadership both on the private and the public side, we say kudos to all involved in getting us to this point.
Last night the Matthews Town Board completed a hearing it began in July on a text amendment that would restrict Short Term Rentals (STRs) within its town limits. The language has been updated which is reflected in the presentation provided during last night’s meeting by Matthews Planning Director, Jay Camp. Several Short Term Rental (STR) owners and operators provided comments expressing concern about the proposal and its adverse impacts on the local economy as well as intrusion on individual property rights. The amendment now moves on to the Planning Board for consideration during its upcoming August 27th meeting.
The text amendment language continues to include a number of problematic provisions including the following:
If you are impacted by, or are concerned about, the Town’s proposal restricting STRs, we need to hear from you. Please email me at [email protected].
My take: The majority of the Town Board seems lined up to adopt this proposal when it comes back from the Planning Board. We will continue to engage and make efforts to connect with property owners adversely affected by the potential changes to the ordinance. On another note, the Matthews Board also endorsed a resolution opposing the transportation agreement referenced in item #1. These types of actions will further isolate a community that has already done much in recent years to stifle its own economic vitality due to the complaints of a few residents who struggle to adapt to change.
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