MATTHEWS, NC (WBTV) – Whether driving up Independence Boulevard or down I-77, drivers coming from north and south Charlotte spend a lot of time stuck in traffic.
One way politicians want to solve this problem is by asking voters to approve a one-cent sales tax.
On Friday, politicians announced an agreement between the city of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and five of the county’s six cities that would put the surcharge on the ballot in November 2025. If approved, the agreement would contribute to a transportation plan and create a new board to oversee the plan.
Although Friday’s agreement did not include a specific plan, WBTV obtained a draft from July that shows much of the money will go toward road projects and the Red Line, the commuter rail line between Uptown and Mooresville. The Silver Line, which would run from Union County to Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Gaston County, will not be funded — angering officials in Matthews.
Charlotte City Councilman Ed Driggs said the plan is a compromise and will not make everyone happy.
“The Charlotte City Council would say it’s not so much about the Red Line or the Silver Line. It’s more about the legislature saying you don’t have as much money as you thought you did,” Driggs said. “When we looked at it, particularly with regard to the Bus Rapid Transit to Matthews, it was pretty clear that if we had to cut the rail plan, the Matthews connection couldn’t be included in it.”
In a statement, Matthews Mayor John Higdon said that on Monday evening the board will consider a resolution outlining the city’s position on sales tax legislation. He said he is “strongly opposed.”
“It will create drastic inequities if only the Silver Line East is funded as bus rapid transit while all other lines are built as rail,” his statement said. “This is not the ‘community consensus plan’ that North Carolina General Assembly leadership has called for, and I believe there are better and far more equitable regional transportation solutions that would best serve our entire community.”
Monday’s meeting will be held at Matthews Town Hall and will begin at 7 p.m.
Related: Local politicians propose a 1% increase in VAT
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