Latest news with #Cotham
Axios
02-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
Gov. Stein signs Mecklenburg County transit bill
Gov. Josh Stein on Tuesday signed House Bill 948, the Projects for Advancing Vehicle-Infrastructure Enhancements (P.A.V.E.) Act, handing local voters the power to decide how the region grows and commutes. Why it matters: The legislation authorizes the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners to put a 1-cent sales tax referendum on the November election ballot, and aims to fund the fast-expanding Charlotte region's ambitious transit dreams, including rail, buses and road projects. Zoom out: The measure is years in the making. Though it ultimately received bipartisan support, state GOP lawmakers at first would not back the idea of putting a sales tax referendum on the ballot to support the transit goals of Mecklenburg County, a Democratic stronghold. A diverse coalition of business leaders, community advocates and lawmakers across the aisle lobbied to get the bill across the finish line. Zoom in: Rep. Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County, who flipped from Democrat to Republica n in 2023, sponsored the bill and worked behind the scenes to champion the measure. Her change in party affiliation may have helped broaden its appeal, as Michael Graff recently wrote for the Charlotte Optimist. Her work on the legislation may also help improve Charlotte's relationship with state lawmakers. "There's always been this East versus West and the Great State of Mecklenburg. I'd like to say we've overcome that," Cotham tells Axios. "We are definitely changing the narrative." Cotham says she hopes the measure will be a framework for other regions seeking to invest in their own transit needs. "I will help every colleague who wants to do this regardless of politics," she adds. Context: The sales tax could generate $19.4 billion over 30 years. If voters approve the measure, 60% of the funding would go to a transportation authority for transit projects and 40% would go to municipalities for roads, including bike lanes and lighting. What they're saying:"This is a game-changing moment for our region," said Hooper Hardison, CEO of Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company, in a statement. "Modern, connected transportation systems are essential to business growth, workforce access, and talent attraction."
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Legislation for Mecklenburg County transit plan takes vital step in NC House
RALEIGH, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The bill that could eventually lead to the funding of Mecklenburg County's transit plan easily passed its second reading on Wednesday. The P.A.V.E. Act allows Mecklenburg County to hold a ballot referendum for voters to decide on a one-cent sales tax increase to improve roads, buses, and rail transit. After the second reading passed 102-6, it will go to a third reading and then to the State Senate. PREVIOUS: CATS board approves transit plan with expanded rail service, 'better bus' program The bipartisan bill's primary author is Republican Mint Hill Rep. Tricia Cotham, who is joined by Mecklenburg County Democrats Mark Belk, Becky Carney, Carla Cunningham, Aisha Dew, Beth Helfrich, Jordan Lopez, Nasif Majeed, and Julia Greenfield. 'Just like any good piece of legislation where others have had an input, it's not perfect, but it is a tremendous start,' said Rep. Tricia Cotham. Cotham took the House floor Wednesday afternoon to explain why she believes her fellow lawmakers should proceed with the P.A.V.E. Act. 'As you all know, traffic adds to frustration, congestion, and just grumpy people, we see it every day, and I believe and I know this will help,' she said. North Mecklenburg communities are celebrating the latest step on Wednesday as they prepare for a commuter rail from Uptown. Cornelius Mayor Woody Washam calls the bill a 'game-changer' that will bring 'real improvements that folks will feel right away.' The funding would create a new governing authority and allow for the construction of the Red Line, Silver Line, extension of the Blue Line, a 'better bus' program, and road improvements. The bill requires that the net proceeds of the bill be distributed as follows: 40% to the county's eligible municipalities, which can only be spent on roadway systems 60% to the metropolitan public transit authority to be used only for a public transportation system, specifically including microtransit services All of the county's municipalities but Matthews have shown support for the plan. 'I wish that we could go back to the drawing board and renegotiate a better deal on behalf of our residents,' said Matthews Commissioner Ken McCool. Matthews leaders have been outspoken against the idea from the beginning because there likely won't be enough funding to bring the light rail east. Commissioner McCool took his concerns to Raleigh this week. 'I'm disappointed, but at the end of the day, if this passes the Senate and goes to the governor's desk, the voters will ultimately decide and the voters of Mecklenburg County will have their choice to see what they want to do with this,' he said. The commissioner plans to challenge Cotham for her District 105 seat in 2026, saying the transit bill played a role in motivating him. Queen City News reached out to Cotham for comment on the transit bill's progress and McCool's announcement. We are waiting to hear back. The House will take one more vote before the bill makes its way to the Senate for approval. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
11-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Cotham's Mecklenburg County transportation bill advances in N.C. General Assembly
Republican Rep. Tricia Cotham's bill for Mecklenburg County's long-sought 1% transportation sales tax was heard for the first time in the North Carolina General Assembly on Wednesday. Why it matters: The House Committee on Transportation's discussion was generally supportive and ended with a favorable review of House Bill 948 — also known as the P.A.V.E. Act — then swiftly referred it to the finance committee. This marks another step forward for Mecklenburg County's ambitions to build more rail, improve the bus system and reduce congestion. Catch up quick: Cotham's bill, filed in April, would give Mecklenburg County the authority to put a 1% sales tax on the November election ballot. If voters approve it, the tax will generate $19.4 billion over 30 years for road and transportation projects — not including leveragable federal dollars. Cotham's original version of the bill set a spending formula of 40% for road projects and 60% for transit projects, intending to create more flexibility to build rail than another version of the bill that capped rail spending at 40%. Yes, but: Cotham made changes to the bill before the hearing on Wednesday. Now, 40% would be spent on road projects, 40% would go toward rail and 20% would fund the bus service. This is the same breakdown as the other bill, filed earlier in February by Republican Senators Bill Rabon, David Craven and Vickie Sawyer. Between the lines: Leaders in Matthews, which is part of Cotham's district, have been opposed to a transportation plan that does not allocate enough money to build the east-west Silver Line light rail to Matthews. It's unclear whether removing the 40% cap on rail would still have been enough for that project to become a reality, considering the county also wants to build the Red Line commuter train to the northern towns. No representative from Matthews was at the meeting to oppose the bill. Rep. Brenden Jones said Matthews has committed to working with legislators to find a happy medium. What they're saying: Several developers and prominent business leaders traveled to Raleigh to speak in favor of the bill at the meeting. They included developers Peter Pappas and Tim Sittema, former chairman of the North Carolina Board of Transportation Ned Curran and Charlotte Regional Business Alliance chair David Longo. "Transportation and traffic issues top the list of concerns we hear about every day," Sittema said. "Congestion is a huge problem. Recently, we had a project where we were asked to enhance or improve seven different intersections nearby, (and) that was not viable for us." The bottom line: While local legislatures voice enthusiasm for the bill's momentum and dedication from the region, those from other parts of the state are acknowledging that it is ultimately up to the local voters to decide.
Axios
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Two years ago, I covered NC's abortion bill while having a miscarriage
Two years ago this month, North Carolina Republicans rolled out a plan to further restrict abortions in the state, moving the limit from 20 weeks to 12 with a smattering of exceptions. While lawmakers were advancing the proposal, I was having a miscarriage. Why it matters: Friday marked the anniversary of when those restrictions became law. I covered the bill's passage while I was actively miscarrying, and doing so changed me in an instant — transforming my priorities, in my personal life and in how I approach my job as a political reporter. Flashback: The early months of 2023 had been a whirlwind. I landed some of the best stories of my career in those months, scooping news that made national headlines and breaking stories that are still the butt of jokes in North Carolina political circles. Those wins came at a cost, of course. I had poured all of myself into my career: I started my days on the phone at 7am and wrapped up around 10pm, when I would pace my back porch with a glass of wine and chat up sources. That changed in April 2023, when I took a pregnancy test a few hours before my 27th birthday party. Feeling confident it would be negative, I set the test on my nightstand and took a nap. Guests were set to start arriving any minute when I remembered to check the results. Two pink lines: Positive. But I knew something wasn't right. The intrigue: I was waiting for an explanation about what was happening to me when North Carolina lawmakers called a press conference to unveil new abortion restrictions. Legislative Republicans had been just one vote shy of what they needed to usher tighter restrictions into law until early April 2023, when then- Democrat state Rep. Tricia Cotham switched parties. Cotham's move handed Republicans their long-awaited legislative supermajority and enough votes to pass their first post-Roe abortion bill. Covering breaking political news is my bread and butter, but I spent that press conference holding back tears. I was so focused on my own circumstances that, for the first time in my life, I could not bring myself to care about my job. I kept covering the bill in the days that followed, going through the motions while I awaited a call from my doctor. Two days after the press conference, and the same day the legislature sent the bill to the governor's desk, I got the news: I had been pregnant, but I wasn't anymore. My doctor said he was sorry and to expect more bleeding. I took some time off and pulled back from coverage of the bill. The big picture: Miscarriages, I learned then, are far more common than people realize. An estimated 1 in 5 pregnancies end in miscarriage, with as many as 50% attributed to "unspecified" causes, per the Yale School of Medicine. Many women miscarry before they even know they're pregnant, so miscarriage rates — defined as a pregnancy loss before 20 weeks gestation — are likely higher than the reported 1 in 5. I probably would not have ever known I was pregnant if I hadn't taken a pregnancy test on a whim. I used to wish I hadn't had the intuition to take a pregnancy test that day. It would have saved me from an E.R. visit the day after my birthday, doctors visits, and, even though I hadn't planned on being pregnant then, hours spent lying awake, dreaming about the baby that was almost mine. For a year, I prayed the reporter I was before I had a miscarriage would return. I still miss that version of myself, but I've finally decided I like this version better. I have a 1-year-old now, who is crazy and perfect and has served as yet another reminder that my family and my sanity are more important than breaking stories that require regularly being on the phone at 10pm. You used to be a good reporter, someone told me shortly after I returned from maternity leave, but then you had a baby. I was upset about that statement for a while, but it makes me laugh now. The bottom line: I am a better reporter because I had a miscarriage — and because I had a baby. Having a miscarriage forced me to spend less time caught up in the back-and-forth of covering state politics, and more time covering what matters to my readers. Having a baby solidified for me that I never want to go back to who I was before April 2023.
Axios
24-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
Mecklenburg County now has two competing transit bills. Which prevails?
After years of uncertainty over whether a single funding bill would be introduced, two proposals have emerged in the North Carolina legislature that would empower Mecklenburg County to seek a transportation sales tax. Why it matters: If voters approve it, a 1-cent sales tax increase would generate an estimated $19.4 billion over 30 years. However, the competing bills in the House and Senate differ significantly in how the funds could be spent. Context: Senate Bill 145 caps the amount of money spent on rail projects at 40%. House Bill 948, filed by Rep. Tricia Cotham, allows for more flexibility: Up to 60% of the funds could be spent on public transportation, including rail, with the remainder reserved for road projects. The latest: At a transportation summit hosted by South Charlotte Partners on Thursday, elected officials and transit executives discussed the next steps. Charlotte City Council member Ed Driggs, who chairs the city's transportation committee, said the process of arriving at a final bill is ongoing. The bill will take effect with the budget, which is likely several months away from adoption, Driggs said. "That creates a little bit of an interesting situation for us," Driggs said. "If we want to have a referendum in November, we need to get busy." Between the lines: In her district, Cotham represents Matthews, where town leaders and residents are frustrated with a potential 40% cap on rail, as it would make funding the full Silver Line light rail to Matthews unrealistic. If Cotham's version of the bill prevails, Matthews can make a stronger case with the Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) to prioritize its segment of the Silver Line in funding plans, Driggs said. The MTC is the board responsible for adopting long-range public transportation plans. The other side: Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell, who also represents Matthews, says while Cotham's bill offers more "wiggle room," the Silver Line remains a sticking point for her and many of her constituents. "There's been a real lack of interest in exploring how we can make this plan work for everyone," Rodriguez-McDowell said. "It really fails." While Driggs notes that Matthews represents just 3% of the population in Mecklenburg County, Rodriguez-McDowell argues that percentage downplays how many people travel to Matthews. The big picture: This is the closest Charlotte has gotten to advancing its transit plans after years of discussion. At Thursday's transit summit, speakers repeatedly referred to the plan as "generational" and a "game changer" because of the substantial revenue it would generate. For example, Davidson — a town with a $20-million budget — would receive $3.2 million in the first year for its roads. Yes, but: There's still a real probability the bill could stall in the General Assembly, or voters could reject the referendum, especially with unresolved debate over the Silver Line. "I want to sing 'Kumbaya' with everyone, but I just can't get on the same song sheet with y'all right now," Rodriguez-McDowell said. Driggs said the idea of "just not doing this" is terrifying. What's next: If the tax passes, money will start to flow in the middle of next year, Driggs said. Road improvements would begin soon after, while larger endeavors, such as the Red Line commuter rail, would be constructed over a 30-year period.
