The interviews will be livestreamed.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. โ Charlotte City Council has announced the 27 candidates chosen for the new Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority (MPTA) Board of Trustees, which will pick what transitย projects to prioritize over the next 30 years.ย
The 27 board members will serve four-year terms with a limit of two terms. The board will be split into nine areas based on expertise: law, finance, engineering, public transportation, urban planning, logistics, government and architecture and economic development.
The board was chosen by various bodies across the region. City of Charlotte appointed 12, at least three recommended by the philanthropy group the Alliance and Foundation for the Carolinas. The Mecklenburg County Commissioners will appoint 6, with at least one from an unincorporated area and one small business owner. And, each Mecklenburg County town will appoint one representative, as well as the governor.ย
The process to choose board members began before the transit sales tax referendum was approved by voters. The application opened mid-September and receive over 150 submissions. By mid-October, city council decided to continue with the interview process after concerns of transparency and accurate representation.ย
The MPTA will oversee and make decisions over the estimated $19.4 billion generated over the next three decades by the newly approved transit sales tax.ย
The tax will raise sales tax from 7.25% to 8.25% on items like clothes, books, electronics, prepared foods and more. The tax will not apply to grocery items like milk, meat and produce. ย
The MPTA would also have the power to establish its own police department. The push for a dedicated police force has gained urgency as safety concerns have intensified following the August death of Iryna Zarutska and other high-profile crimes on the light rail and at transit centers.
Mecklenburg County residents voted 52.1% for, 48.9% against, a less than 4% margin.ย
The approval campaign was run by Yes for Meck, funded by the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance and the Coalition for a Better 2050. Many organizations also endorsed or donated to the cause, including the Black Political Caucus, Atrium Health and some Charlotte officials.ย
The transit plan promises reduced traffic congestion, better bus frequency and light rail expansions, especially the Red Line to Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson.ย
“The Red Line, a long-awaited project will finally move forward. Now we know that the Red Line is not going to happen overnight. It will take time, commitment, patience and a lot of hard work,” Mayor Vi Lyles said. “We’re going to do something that we’re going to be proud of.”
The tracks have already been purchased, but the MPTA will be in charge of getting those plans laid down. As of right now, there is no information on a timeline.
There was no organized opposition, however, many, including voters, pointed out issues with the referendum. Community organizations said the sales tax would hit low-income residents the hardest funding better public transport for high-income, suburban areas. Others were concerned that voters could not pick members of the MPTA board.ย
For example, Marjorie Molina, the current District 5 city council member, was voted out in September primary by constituents but was selected to join the board representing government by city council.ย
โNot saying that her professional accolades don’t qualify her for that position,โ executive director of CharlotteEAST Greg Asciutto said about Molina. โBut from an east side perspective, one of the major reasons that the voters decided to go in a different direction was because of how she handled transit for east Charlotte last year when the Silver Line was omitted and cut from the plan.”
Chairperson of the Black Political Caucus Joyce Jones-Nolley agreed that proper representation mattered when endorsing the referendum. She emphasized that leaders must protect neighborhoods from being displaced if new rail lines expand.
โWe still need to understand more about displacement and how that impacts some of the rails that go through African American communities and in all communities, right?โ Jones-Nolley said.ย
Interviews for the MPTA candidates will begin next week and will be livestreamed.ย
Interviews will be held on:
- Wednesday, November 12: 12:00 p.m.โ3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.โ6:00 p.m.ย
- Thursday, November 13: 5:00 p.m.โ9:00 p.m.ย
- Friday, November 14: 8:00 a.m.โ12:00 p.mย
- Saturday, November 15: 9:00 a.m.โ1:00 p.m.
Here is the full list of candidates for the MPTA Board of Trustees:ย
- Frank Emory
- Jay Ferguson
- Gerald Patton
- Emma Allen
- William Cameron Pruette
- Gary Young
- Robert Hillman
- Tim Sittema
- Martina Ackridge
- David Howard
- Corine Mackย
- Shannon Binns
- Katrina Young
- Towan Dicks
- Lee Cochran
- Marjorie Molina
- Julie Eiseltย
- Colette Forrestย
- Sagar Rathie
- James Scruggs
- Keith Williams
- Todd Collins
- Joel Fordย
- Scott Harris
- Jocelyn Jones Nolleyย
- Stephanie Handย
- Juan Euvin
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