Press Releases and Newsletters
N.C. Metropolitan Mayors Coalition to Host Urban Transportation Forum, “Metro Cities in the Pole Position”
N.C. Metropolitan Mayors Coalition to Host Urban Transportation Forum, “Metro Cities in the Pole Position”
The North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors Coalition announces its first-ever statewide transportation forum “Metro Cities in the Pole Position” on August 27 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord. White House Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs David Agnew and N.C. Department of Transportation COO Jim Trogdon will be keynote speakers.
Raleigh, NC, July 31, 2009 –One of the fastest growing states in the nation, 88 percent of North Carolina’s projected growth by the year 2030 will take place in the state’s metropolitan areas. However, the current method for allocating transportation funds penalizes urban areas, according to N.C. Department of Transportation secretary Gene Conti in a recent Charlotte Observer article on stimulus spending.
On August 27, the North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors Coalition will host its first-ever statewide transportation meeting to discuss strategies to address North Carolina’s urban transportation needs. The meeting and luncheon, “Metro Cities in the Pole Position,” is open to the public and will be held on August 27 from 11:30 am to 2 pm at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord.
The meeting will address critical transportation issues, including state transportation funds allocation using the equity formula, metro roadway congestion and comprehensive public transit development.
Key transportation stakeholders, including city council members, city managers, urban transit officials and transportation businesses, will gather at the Metro Mayors’ transportation meeting to discuss urban transportation needs and spending strategies to address those growing needs. Keynote speakers at the meeting will include David Agnew, White House Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Jim Trogdon, Chief Operating Officer of the N.C. Department of Transportation.
“Metro Cities in the Pole Position” is intended to encourage an urban transportation dialogue statewide. The Metro Mayors will unveil a new, interactive website at the meeting that encourages issue advocacy and the online exchange of ideas. The site will include a Twitter feed and breaking news posts, allowing interested parties to stay informed and involved.
Tickets for the “Metro Cities in the Pole Position” meeting and luncheon can be purchased for $35 in advance or will be available at the door for $45. Tables of eight can be reserved for $400. To register, visit http://www.ncmetromayors.org.
About the North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors Coalition
The North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors Coalition is comprised of mayors from North Carolina’s 26 biggest cities and focuses on transportation, public safety and the economy. The organization was founded in 2001 around transit issues by a group of 15 mayors across North Carolina.
The Metro Mayors work to encourage the exchange of ideas and best practices among municipal officials. The organization works with state officials to promote livable, environmentally friendly and economically viable urban development.
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N.C.’s metro mayors say stimulus money divided unequally
N.C.’s metro mayors say stimulus money divided unequally
By Jennifer Moxley
View the original article and video from News 14 Carolina
CONCORD, N.C. — For the first time, mayors across North Carolina were in the same room to discuss how the state spends money on roads.
Gov. Beverly Perdue signed into law Thursday a bill that would give local governments the chance to impose additional taxes and tolls for road construction, an issue the mayors in the state’s 26 largest cities had on their agenda.
The mayors gathered at Lowe’s Motor Speedway to discuss two major topics — money and transportation. Many are unnerved about how the state divvies out money through a 20-year-old formula designed to be equal.
“We found that any way you slice it, based on population, unemployment or economic activity, the metropolitan regions of our state did not get their fair share of the stimulus money,” High Point Mayor Rebecca Smothers said.
The infusion of more than $800 million in federal stimulus money for transportation put the distribution formula in the spotlight. Before more money comes down the pipeline, the mayors want to change the way money is given out.
“We had to get the money out quickly and depend on what was there,” David Agnew, White House Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, explained. “What we’ve learned over the past few months is that many of those distribution mechanisms for the transportation money could have been made better,
The mayors wanted other options to raise additional funds for local transit needs. And just before Thursday’s meeting, Perdue signed legislation giving local governments the option for a transit sales tax and tolls.
“It’s not just about commerce and economic development anymore, it’s also about how we preserve the quality of life in this state and how we preserve the natural beauty,” Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy said.
Perdue’s legislation will allow counties to hold a vote on a local sales tax that would fund transit. Mecklenburg County already had that option, but in Triangle and Triad counties, leaders could pass a half-cent sales tax for transit. In other counties, the option would be for a quarter-cent per dollar tax.
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Video – NC’s Outdated Transportation Funding Methods
Sign the petition to help change the way our state's transportation funds are allocated! The Yadkin River Bridge is in desperate need of repair, but can't get the appropriate funding. North Carolina's method for allocating transportation funds is outdated and in need of change. Watch the video below to learn more.
Defend against attempts to shift state responsibilities to local governments and preserve local revenues
Business lobbyists urged members of a legislative study committee to try to clean up what they say are haphazard, unfair local business privilege taxes.
Seek a local option sales tax for local transportation needs
HB148- Congestion Relief/Intermodal Transport Fund
Lawmakers gave final approval late Monday, August 10, 2009, to legislation that would allow Triangle and Triad counties to raise the sales tax to pay for light rail and more buses. The House voted 73 to 40 to let Wake, Orange, Durham, Guilford and Forsyth counties boost the sales tax by 1/2 percentage point, if voters approve. The legislation would also allow every other county, except Mecklenburg, to vote on a 1/4-cent transit tax increase. Mecklenburg already has a 1/2-cent transit tax added to its sales tax rate. The bill also authorizes transit authorities to increase car registration fees by up to $7 per vehicle to $10.
Reduce crime by reducing gang violence
Reduce crime by reducing gang violence.
The Metro Mayors are convening a Public Safety Summit on August 28th to build a consensus advocacy agenda with other stakeholders.
Mayor Bell Advocates for Regional Light Rail
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Mayor Bell Advocates for Regional Light Rail (Durham Magazine)
by Lisa Rossi
Voters might be asked to approve a sales tax next year if they want a light rail to connect Durham, Orange and Wake counties, Durham Mayor Bill Bell said in an interview this week.
He said it could take until November of 2010 to bring this issue to a vote due to difficult current economic conditions, and said it could be 15 to 20 years before a electrified light rail would be running in the area.
“What I hope is between now and 2010, the economy will improve, and we’ll have time to educate the voting public on the needs and the extent to which light rail will be a benefit,” Bell said.
Bell shared his thoughts this week prior to an upcoming meeting state metropolitan mayors plan to have about transportation issues.
Durham Mayor Bill Bell
Anyone who has crawled through traffic on U.S. 15-501 during rush hour would be glad these elected officials are tackling transportation, which will be a focus of the N.C. Metro Mayors Coalition meeting scheduled for Aug. 27 in Concord.
Mayors, including Bell, are concerned about this in light of population projections that place the majority of the growth in the state’s cities. Eighty-eight percent of North Carolina’s projected growth by the year 2030 will take place in our metropolitan areas, the coalition says. The population of Durham county alone is expected to balloon. According to the N.C. Office of State Budget and Management, 407,971 people are projected to live in this county in July of 2029, up from 260,471 estimated to live here now.
Bell said he is concerned that mayors cannot tackle urban congestion issues with roads alone: He is among those advocating for a light rail system in the Research Triangle area, a proposal advanced by the recent transportation bill passed in North Carolina that authorizes counties to hold referendums for a sales tax to help pay for local transit options.
Metropolitan Mayors Advocate for City Role in Stimulus Package
Metropolitan Mayors Advocate for City Role in Stimulus Package
December 19, 2008
Contact: Julie White (919) 715-7895
Download the original Press Release
Metropolitan Mayors Advocate for City Role in Stimulus Package
Metro cities release $2.8 billion list of local, ready-to-go projects to create nearly 100,000 jobs
RALEIGH – The North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors Coalition released a list today containing $2.8 billion of ready to go infrastructure projects demonstrating local government’s ability to put the federal stimulus dollars to work quickly on projects that will create nearly 100,000 jobs.
“North Carolina cities stand ready to partner with federal and state leaders in their efforts to move North Carolina’s economy forward,” said Rocky Mount Mayor David Combs, co-chair of the Coalition’s Economic Development committee. “Our goal in releasing this list is not to advocate for individual projects, but to show cities’ ability to deploy the stimulus money quickly on important local infrastructure projects.”
Cities will be contacting their Congressional delegation seeking support for a strong role for local government in the federal stimulus package and reaching out to state leaders with the goal of securing a portion of the money that flows to the state for local projects.
“Cities have local infrastructure projects which will create nearly 100,000 jobs,” said Cary Mayor Pro Tem Julie Robison, co-chair of the Coalition’s Economic Development committee. “The federal stimulus package is an extraordinary opportunity to move our economy forward while making smart investments in our future.”
According to Donovan D. Rypkema, in his 2005 book Economics of Historic Preservation: A Community Leader’s Guide, $1,000,000 spent in new construction creates approximately 35.9 jobs.
The North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors Coalition was founded in 2001 by large city mayors and today represents the state’s 26 largest cities and more than three million citizens. The Coalition remains a nonpartisan, mayor-driven organization advocating on urban issues that affect many of our cities in a fast-growing state.
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