‘Gutted by transportation’: Black Charlotte leaders voice concerns on sales tax plan
Black political leaders in Charlotte pressured city officials on Tuesday to rethink a county sales tax for transportation network projects.
The 1-cent sales tax, which could land on a ballot later this year, would fund transportation projects like redesigning the bus system, part of the city’s $13.5 billion mobility transformation plan.
But members of the local Black Political Caucus, speaking at a news conference, said they’re concerned the sales tax and subsequent mobility projects like streetcar expansions could hurt Black Charlotteans.
“These projects will significantly affect the Black community’s access to quick and efficient transportation, affordable housing, ability to maintain home ownership, upper mobility and other economic opportunities,” Black Political Caucus Charlotte-Mecklenburg chairwoman Stephanie Sneed said at the uptown Charlotte news conference.
“Prior transit and light rail projects have already proven these in such areas as Double Oaks, Optimist Park and Wilmore, which has alone lost 40% of its Black residents due to transit light rail development,” Sneed added. “In the past, our communities have been gutted by transportation.”
The caucus is asking the city to consider three initiatives to protect Black Charlotteans: anti-displacement measures, affordable housing requirements near light rail stations and increased minority vendor participation in transit projects.
“Transportation development is economic development,” Sneed said. “But who is it for?
“Is it for us? Is it for the young millenials that move into the area? Is it for those whose pockets are already deep?”
Sales tax plan
The earliest the sales tax plan could get on a local ballot is November, chief advocacy and strategy officer at the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance Kelly O’Brien told the Observer in December.
But there’s no publicly announced timeline for the sales tax.
Some city and county officials are traveling to Austin , Texas, on Wednesday to learn how that city has handled changes to its transportation system, city council member Malcolm Graham said Tuesday.
“Part of the trip is fact finding,” Graham said. “We’ll kick the tires in Austin and compare it to Charlotte, and try to see how we can move forward.”
Charlotte officials have previously heard from Austin transportation leaders ahead of a 2020 vote in Austin to approve a $7.1 billion transit plan, funded in part by a roughly 4% property tax increase.
Graham, a member of the Black Political Caucus, said the requests were reasonable, but stopped short of backing a requirement to tie the sales tax increase to the three initiatives.
“The devil’s in the details,” he said. “We have a long way to go.”
3 requirements the caucus wants
The Black Political Caucus touted Austin as a good example of supporting Black residents amid transit redesign.
Austin allocated 4.2% of its transit plan budget to anti-displacement measures, according to the Black Political Caucus. The caucus would like to see a similar proposal in Charlotte.
The group is also concerned that light rail expansion will lead to an explosion of developments with high rental prices. So the caucus would like to see Charlotte require housing developments within 1 mile of light rail stops to make 10% of units affordable housing.
Many other cities, including Atlanta and Austin, include disadvantaged business enterprise programs in comprehensive transit plans, Black Political Caucus members said.
Members would like to see Charlotte officials make a commitment to a disadvantaged business enterprise program and a commitment to making improvements to minority vendor participation.
This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 5:57 PM.
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