CHARLOTTE — Monday was the first time Charlotte City Council members had a chance to discuss the I-77 South toll lane project publicly since it was announced that the CRTPO will have another vote next month to reconsider toll lanes.
They laid out a timeline for their next steps.
Monday night city staff got councilmembers up to date on developments for the project that have happened since they last met. That includes a provision passed in the state budget that would require Charlotte to pay back tens of millions of dollars to the NCDOT if they continue to not support the project, and a commitment from the Secretary of Transportation to provide funding for community projects if the I-77 South project returns.
Some community members haven’t swayed.
“It’s time for us to act like the 14th largest in the country and for us to tell the NCDOT this is not what we think is good policy,” said Robert Dawkins with Action NC.
Councilmembers have multiple opportunities to make their decision. They have three regularly scheduled meetings between now and late September. That’s when the CRTPO says they will vote again on the project.
Those meetings include Aug. 10, Aug. 24, and Sep. 14. It has not been determined at which meeting that vote will take place.
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In a previous vote in May, council voted 6-5 to pull support. One of the original six that voted against tolls is Victoria Watlington. She says she is still a no, and has many questions for the city attorney, including whether the payback requirement is even legal.
“I have the utmost confidence that she is going to come back to us with what she knows for a fact, what things might be in a gray area and what things we believe we can defend,” Watlington said.
District 7 Councilmember Ed Driggs wants the project to come back. He says he believes councilmembers are still open to a conversation that could sway them.
“I think there is hope for us to have a meaningful conversation,” said Driggs. " I do believe the point about the enforceability of the letter is valid."
If the payback provision is legal, the stakes for council are high. If they vote to flip and support the project, they won’t owe NCDOT anything. If they hold firm, they will owe the lion’s share of the payback money.
The way they vote will also likely determine if the project returns.