CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte City Council is set to vote tonight on whether to support adding express toll lanes along Interstate 77 South from Uptown Charlotte to the South Carolina state line.
The vote serves as the crucial precursor to a final regional decision scheduled in two days on the future of the toll corridor.
The project was previously stalled in May after Councilman Malcolm Graham and Councilmember Joi Mayo voted against it.
However, state lawmakers subsequently added a provision to the state budget requiring communities that oppose toll projects to reimburse the state for sunk costs.
City attorney officials warned that rejecting the project could leave Charlotte responsible for $60 million in sunk costs incurred by the state, potentially forcing a local tax increase.
Democratic Councilman Graham, who represents District two and is considered a key swing vote, emphasized that a tax hike is unacceptable to him.
“I don’t have to vote until 6:30 tonight, but obviously, you know, this is a big decision for the region,” Graham said.
He noted the financial and political considerations involved with state lawmakers in Raleigh.
“I clearly understand the budget implications for the City of Charlotte. I clearly understand there’s a wide variety of other issues in front of the General Assembly that we need their support on for the city as a whole. And so, obviously, I won’t raise taxes,” Graham expressed.
Opponents of the project argue the city should utilize sales tax revenue from the new transit tax to repay the state rather than approving the toll lanes.
Megan Kimball, an attorney opposing the penalty structure, raised questions about the legal standing of the state’s requirement and suggested the city consider filing a lawsuit.
“You can’t charge somebody retroactively for something lawful at the time, and so I think that there are a lot of real questions about whether or not this penalty is legal in the first place,” Kimball said.
If approved by the council, a binding memorandum of understanding between the City of Charlotte and the North Carolina Department of Transportation would formalize at least $300 million in community benefits connected to the toll lane project.
The Charlotte City Council vote is scheduled to take place at 6:30 p.m. at the government center. A regional planning group is set to make the final determination on the toll lane project two days later.
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