Mecklenburg County voted 6-3 on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at its Board of County Commissioners meeting to move forward with a proposed 1-cent sales tax referendum. This effort aims to support future transit projects in the area — the board estimated this tax could bring in $345 million in one year. Particularly, it could support Charlotte Area Transit System’s Red Line commuter rail project.
Before you vote
The county’s approval marks the second time the drafted bill passed a vote — Charlotte City Council approved it earlier this month. However, the end goal is clear: let Mecklenburg County voters decide on the sales tax referendum.
Before it gets on the ballot, the bill will need to receive approval from North Carolina’s legislature. If it’s passed by the state, the proposal could be voted on as soon as 2025.
The proposed Red Line route.
Photo via WCNC
Tax increase benefits
Under the current draft, only 40% of tax revenue will support the new rail transit project, but the effort has recently been moving forward. The City of Charlotte purchased the 22-mile Red Line tracks from Norfolk Southern in a $74 million deal that was finalized earlier this month. The transit system aims to connect Uptown Charlotte to areas like Cornelius and Davidson — potentially even Mt. Mourne in Moorseville.
This month’s deal also included the purchase of a 1.6-acre plot of land near the site of the forthcoming Charlotte Gateway Station. This proposed transit hub is a critical piece of the Charlotte Area’s 2030 transit plan, an effort to improve mobility as the local population grows to an anticipated 2.5 million by the end of this decade.
The remaining 60% of funding will be put toward maintaining and developing roads and buses. The draft also proposes Mecklenburg County creates a transit authority to oversee its transportation systems.
