1) CATS Micro is an on-demand, shared-ride service expands territory to northern municipalities. The new service will be provided using CATS Micro-branded vehicles.
“On-demand trips” mean you can access service when needed, within the service hours listed below. The wait time for the service is intended to be no more than 30 minutes from the time of reservation to the time of pickup from your requested location within the service zone, however traffic delays may impact these times. We urge you to check your CATS-Pass app throughout your experience for the most up to date information.
All CATS Micro trips must be scheduled through the CATS-Pass app or arranged by calling the CATS Customer Service, on the day of service. Customers will not be able to hail a CATS Micro vehicle from the curb.
The CATS Micro zone serves areas north of I-485, including the towns of Huntersville, Davidson, and Cornelius. See the map of service and read the article.
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2) HUD Secretary Vows to Work with Builders to Cut Regulations, Boost Housing Supply From NAHB
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Scott Turner today said he would work to reduce regulatory burdens to ease America’s housing affordability crisis and help builders to construct more attainable, affordable housing the nation sorely needs.
In one of his first official speaking engagements after being sworn in as HUD secretary earlier this month, Turner addressed the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)Leadership Council, which met in Las Vegas in conjunction with the 2025International Builders’ Show (IBS).
“A home is more than four walls. It’s the foundation of a thriving community,” said Turner. “To decrease the cost and increase the supply of affordable housing, we will terminate these unnecessary, ineffective and costly regulations.”
Turner pledged to work with home builders and all interested stakeholders to find long-term solutions that make homes more affordable, spur business creation and create economic opportunity for all Americans.
“It’s time we unleash the power of the private sector and the free market to build our way out of the housing affordability crisis,” said Turner. “We are going back to the drawing board to restore efficiency at HUD.”
The HUD secretary further emphasized that as part of this process, “the foundation of a stable fiscal house is regulatory reform. At HUD, we are taking inventory and terminating all cumbersome regulations that make it harder for individuals and families to realize the American Dream of homeownership.”
After addressing the NAHB Leadership Council, Turner participated in the IBS by touring the latest building products and innovations on the exhibit floor.
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3) Mecklenburg County Seeking Input Through Annual Online Budget Survey. Closing Soon, so Act Now!
Each year, Mecklenburg County develops an annual operating budget that reflects the priorities of the County Commission and the community. We are currently developing the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget, which starts July 1, 2025, and ends June 30, 2026, and they need our help!
Your input on the following survey will help us understand whether your needs for selected county services are being met and which services should be prioritized for the next year.
This survey will take most people less than 10 minutes to complete, and your responses will remain anonymous.
The County provides a variety of services to residents. County department services include:
Air Quality
Child Support Enforcement
Code Enforcement
Court Services Coordination
Domestic Violence Services
Economic Development
Flood Mitigation
Historic Landmarks
Homeless Support Services
Jails & Detention
Land, Property & Vital Records
Medical Examiner
Park & Recreation
Property Valuation
Public Health
Public Libraries
Recycling Centers
Social Services
Solid Waste Disposal
Stream & Lake Quality
Tax Collection
Veterans Services
Voting Services
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4) City of Charlotte Seeking Input Through Annual Online Budget Survey.
The City of Charlotte is seeking input from residents regarding their budget priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.
As part of this effort, the city will host three budget engagement events, listed below, throughout March, providing residents with multiple opportunities to learn about the budget process and share their feedback.
Residents can also share feedback through the FY 2026 Budget Survey, which will remain open until April 7, and engage with the Balancing Act simulator. The Balancing Act is a tool that allows residents to test their budgeting skills and balance the city’s more than $4 billion dollar budget.
“The city’s budget is more than numbers – it’s a plan that connects people to opportunities, strengthens neighborhoods and enhances quality of life,” said Marie Harris, interim director of the City of Charlotte Strategy & Budget Department. “Every decision impacts daily life, from the roads we travel to the housing and job opportunities residents have access to. That’s why we want to hear from as many people as possible to ensure their voices help shape the future of our community.”
Following resident engagement, the city manager will present the Proposed FY 2026 Budget on May 5.
Council workshops and presentations can be streamed on the GOV Channel, YouTube and the GOV Channel Streaming App.
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5) Meck County Phase-out of Code Enforcement’s older customer portals begins as Accela becomes preferred portal for all projects
Earlier this year, Accela became the preferred customer portal for all project types. We have been delighted to bring this enhanced service to our customers.
As Accela moves forward, the agency is preparing to move away from the legacy portals in which our customers have worked for decades. This process will take place gradually, to allow our customers a chance to adjust their workflows and account for projects already in process.
The sunset of the previous portals began in February with POSSE Outrider, also known as Web Permit or the contractor dashboard. New applications are no longer being accepted in Outrider for the following project types:
– small commercial projects
– new trade permits
– equipment changeouts
– trade internet permits (TIPS/ETIPS)
Customers should now submit new applications for these project types using Accela.
Customers who have already submitted applications for these project types in POSSE may continue using the older portal for that project.
Customers who have not done so already are encouraged to setup an Accela account. More project types will be removed from the old portals in the weeks and months ahead.
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6) Rents Plunge in Austin for All The Right Reasons. Shot in arm for economic balance by using the market to correct escalating rent prices.
I am sharing information from this forwarded email that illustrates a great example of the market working the way it should. Increase the supply and the cost comes down. We quote this piece from the correspondence:
Austin is exactly the same size, and has very similar demographics to Charlotte, so this is doubly relevant. And the “proof is in the pudding” makes this a very powerful tool to lobby the City and County with – “Look, if you fix your Development Ordinances and just get over yourselves, development WILL happen, more units WILL come, and Rents Will Become More Affordable!!!”
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In a real-world case study that will be on every Intro to Economics syllabus this fall, rents in Austin, Texas, plunged22% from their 2023 peak after the city quickened permit processes and scaled back rules on building height, generating an apartment supply surplus, and, thus, lower prices for renters, Bloomberg reported.
Austin’s “If you build it, rents will fall” mantra created ~50,000 new units between 2023 and 2024,marking a 14% increase—the biggest spike in supply of any US city over that time. The median asking rent in ATX is now $1,399, down $400 from the height of the pandemic. Rents have fallen so much that notoriously pricey Austin is no longer the most expensive city in Texas (Dallas-Forth Worth is).—AE
My Take: It’s been a minute since we authored a 2 for Tuesday + edition, and the timing for today just seemed right to share these important stories. Here are my thoughts…
It will be interesting to see how well the new micro-transit offering plays out in Northern Mecklenburg County. A similar program was launched in Gastonia last year and has been hugely successful.
Newly positioned Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner is saying all of the right things. Increase supply and prices will level out. Curbing or modifying onerous regulations is the most efficient way to do that.
I know it takes a few minutes, but please take the time to weigh in on both budget surveys. Local governments often raise fees for certain services, including those for building and development, during the budget setting process and now is the time to speak.
Slowly but surely the County is coming online with a technology interface similar to Charlotte’s. You may recall that a key finding of the Gartner Report, the result of an action undertaken to streamline the development process nearly ten years ago, was that the City and County should eventually share the same software. This is a step in the right direction but there will continue to be growing pains.
Finally, the Austin story is a real time, real life example of what can and will happen if policymakers get serious about tackling the housing attainability challenge.
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