MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — The Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) is the advisory board that oversees the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). The commission is made up of Mecklenburg County mayors, a county commissioner, and their managers. However, how much power MTC truly has over CATS is in question.
All town mayors and Commissioner Leigh Altman want to solidify the MTC has sole authority over CATS.
"We saw some of the problems we had on the Metropolitan Transit Commission previously that we could vote unanimously for something and the city of Charlotte felt it could disregard that," Altman explained.
The MTC formed about 25 years ago when the towns of Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill, and Pineville joined Charlotte in an interlocal agreement. The towns also agreed that a countywide half-cent transit sales tax would go to Charlotte to operate CATS.
Last month, town mayors and a Mecklenburg County official wrote a letter to Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles demanding a new agreement that gives the MTC more power. The goal is to ensure Charlotte area towns that use CATS services have more of a say in how it’s run.
Charlotte city leaders have agreed to negotiate changes to the current MTC agreement.
"We remain committed to addressing the concerns of our partners as we work toward this common goal of a good transit system," Lyles said at Wednesday's MTC meeting.
However, city leaders have also said in the past the city should reserve power.
"We have a responsibility to the 900,000 people who pay sales tax in Charlotte not to relinquish our ability to represent them," Councilman Ed Driggs told WCNC Charlotte previously.
Lyles suggested the MTC should use a subcommittee to research and recommend changes to the agreement that lays out MTC's oversight of CATS. However, Altman and the town mayors disagreed, saying they want everyone present on both sides and attorneys.
"We come from different parts of the county, we have different constituencies and all those voices deserve to be at the table," Altman said to WCNC Charlotte. Altman added they've had issues with the city blocking which attorneys they're allowed to use in the negotiations, which has delayed the process.
Wednesday night, the MTC agreed to let the Charlotte and town managers work together to recommend changes. The MTC could discuss the recommendations as early as Nov. 15 but it may be later.
It's unclear what will happen if the two parties can't come to an agreement. The current MTC agreement, which was written in 1998, expires in June 2024.
Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.