State senator speaks after draft legislation would force anti-toll communities to pay back millions

CHARLOTTE — The municipalities that voted to rescind the I-77 toll lane project could have to pay NCDOT back for sunk costs. That’s estimated to be more than $60 million.

Channel 9 Government Reporter Joe Bruno obtained a draft amendment circulating the legislature. It would be an amendment to HB1094. Lawmakers are expected to gut and amend it with a DOT omnibus. However, there are some folks involved with this process who believe this is not the appropriate vehicle for this language and would rather see a version of this in the budget.

The amendment requires NCDOT to determine whether a local planning organization, like the CRTPO, took an action to remove a project from its comprehensive plan after the commencement of predevelopment plans. If NCDOT determines that happened, then municipalities that voted for the removal are responsible for reimbursing costs. Charlotte has 31 of the CRTPO’s 74 votes.

State Senator Vickie Sawyer has drafted an amendment that will require all of the communities that killed the project to reimburse NCDOT for sunk costs, saying key street maintenance funding and new projects will be withheld until they do so.

Sawyer says she wants these communities to know what’s potentially coming if they don’t revisit the project

“That is my hope that they will reconsider and educate after they’ve had time to educate on all areas of this decision about what it truly means to the community,” Sawyer said.

Her amendment directs the state to not pull the project until January to give communities time to think if this is what they really want.

But she says she understands the anti-toll sentiment

“I don’t necessarily agree with the quickness or speed of their decision; I completely understand why they made that decision after listening to their community,” Sawyer said.

That’s why her bill also calls for the state to explore buying out the current toll lanes on I-77 that run up to Iredell County.

She says the southern project would learn from the mistakes of the northern project. But also says the northern project is not working

“Just the other day, a friend of mine said he went to Ballantyne from Charlotte, so he took the entire toll. He got a bill in the mail for $170,” Sawyer said. “That’s insane.”

Charlotte City Councilmembers are aware of the draft amendment.

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