NC lawmakers approve Mecklenburg County’s transit tax bill: What’s next?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A bill that would place a one-cent sales tax for transit projects on the Mecklenburg County ballot is headed to Gov. Josh Stein’s desk after receiving final approval from state lawmakers Thursday.

Both the North Carolina House and Senate gave the green light to the “PAVE Act” Thursday afternoon. If Stein signs the legislation, it will put the 1-cent sales tax proposal on the November ballot in Mecklenburg County.

If approved by voters, the revenue would fund future transit projects, including the Red Line light rail expansion.

The long-term transit initiative comes as Charlotte experiences rapid growth, with local leaders working to incorporate mobility plans into the city’s development strategy.

The City’s Community Area Planning concept divides Charlotte into 14 different areas, each with unique priorities and growth plans that will be impacted by transit changes. They are in the process of adjusting these plans with the help of community input.

“We’ve made a tremendous investment in transit with the Blue Line,” Douglas A. Welton, chairman of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission, said. “You’ll notice that there’s a lot of growth along the Blue Line because that area is designated to provide mobility for those folks who are there.”

The commission helped identify the specific needs of each area. For example, in the West Inner area, he says environmental justice and sustainability are the priority. If the plan is approved as is, they will work on mitigation strategies, such as planting more trees, to keep the area cooler.

With 85% of the city consisting of single-family housing, maintaining neighborhood character remains important in planning decisions. Transit plays a big role in that.

“You’re not going to put an apartment complex right in the middle of one of those neighborhoods,” Welton said. “Now, given the rest of the 15% of the city that we can do development on, where are the smart places to put growth?”

Interim Planning Director Monica Carney Holmes said the Community Area Planning aligns well with the transit plan.

“It’s actually a perfect marriage of the two. The community area plans will be the first plans that, if adopted, memorialize where we’ll invest with some of those mobility dollars,” Holmes said. “This is where we’re going to improve roads and sidewalks and make some of those big investments that will really improve people’s access to jobs, housing and all of their daily services.”

Full approval of the community area plans has been pushed back, with Aug. 11 as the earliest date the City Council could hear the proposal, though that timeline could change.

Public feedback is still being accepted on the planning process until July 18. You can do so by adding comments directly to your area’s plan online. You can also sign up for their webinar on July 15.

Holmes says they have already received more than 800 comments, some of which have already resulted in changes.

“How can we give community members more tools, more resources to understand these big concepts?,” Holmes said. “So some exciting stuff that we’ve incorporated is a glossary so people can understand some of those big terms and really understand what it means for them.”

Contact Julie Kay at juliekay@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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