Matthews votes in opposition to sales tax increase for transit plan

CHARLOTTE — Matthews town commissioners voted unanimously Monday night on a resolution in opposition to a penny sales tax increase to fund transit.

The vote comes after Charlotte City Manager Marcus Jones unveiled draft legislation for the comprehensive transit package.

Instead, the town proposed two alternatives. The first 1.4 cent sales tax increase or scrapping light rails from the plans altogether and creating new bus routes for everyone.

Original plans called for the Silver Line to run from the Central Piedmont campus in Matthews to Interstate 485 in west Charlotte with stops in Uptown at Gateway Station and at the Airport. But Matthews leaders say the draft legislation now blows up the plan. Because of a lack of funding for rail, leaders are now proposing bus rapid transit instead of a train running between Matthews and Uptown.

“I think it’s a bad deal from Matthews,” Commissioner Renee Garner said.

Garner told Channel 9 she planned to vote in opposition to the sales tax increase. She says the tax increase is unfair for Matthews residents. She says Matthews residents will have to pay the tax and not get a train, while people in Iredell County and Mooresville won’t pay the extra tax but will still get the Red Line.

“They get a free train, that’s great for them,” she said. “Matthews taxpayers are losing a lot in that deal.”

Matthews appears to be on its own in opposition to the sales tax increase. Charlotte City Council Ed Driggs doesn’t think Matthews’ opposition will have a large impact on how state lawmakers ultimately vote.

“I’ve communicated with members of the legislature and said, ‘Is this a showstopper?’ And they said, ‘No, it’s not,’” he said.

Matthews Mayor John Higdon issued the following statement before the vote:

“The Matthews Town Board of Commissioners will consider a resolution during our meeting this coming Monday that details the Town’s position on the draft sales tax legislation for transit and transportation in Mecklenburg County. I am strongly opposed to the current draft legislation, as it knowingly underfunds the approved transit plan for the region. If ultimately approved, it will create drastic inequities by only funding the Silver Line East as Bus Rapid Transit while all other lines are built as rail. This approach also ignores significant investment already made in planning for light rail, including the $50+ million project to bring the Silver Line East to 30% design completion. This is not the ‘community consensus plan’ requested by North Carolina General Assembly leadership and I believe there are better and much more equitable regional transit solutions that would best serve our entire community.”

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