CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The bill deciding the future of Charlotte Douglas International Airport will go to full House vote tomorrow, setting it up to potentially become law early next week.
However, its passage through one last key committee, House Finance, on Wednesday, was far from unanimous.
"We're saying overnight, within six months, whammo you're an authority," Rep. Becky Carney said, later predicting the state will face a lawsuit.
Rep. Kelly Alexander wondered if taking the airport would require the state to pay the city using tax dollars.
"Some folks estimate it could be as high as $3 or $4 billion," he said.
Rep. Ruth Samuelson said the new version of the bill has a solution.
If it's proven the city is owed money, it will come from airport revenues, not tax dollars. But even that faced arguments.
"What if the city of Charlotte does not agree with the compensation?" Rep. Yvonne Lewis Holley asked.
Staffer said that could lead to court action.
The bill says the city of Charlotte would lose control of the airport on Jan. 1, 2014.
The new regional authority in charge would have its 11 members appointed by October 1st this year.
The new version gives the Charlotte city council and Mayor a couple more appointees on that board.
Samuelson said city employees at the airport will keep their jobs and benefits through the transfer.
"That authority will determine what happens finally, but at least they've got some certainty now of what the path forward is," she said.
She said the board can make changes next year.
"If by some chance, we miss something... they can come back and fix it in the short session," she said.
WSOC
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