MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A Mecklenburg County sales tax increase is a step closer to reality after lawmakers filed a new bill in Raleigh on Monday.
Senate Bill 145 would allow voters in Meck County to either approve or reject a one-cent sales tax increase. That increase would fund future road projects and public transit expansion. It already has the support of Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles.
“Well I’m supporting it because it’s to actually help us grow in a way that’s manageable, that we want people to have good paying jobs and they have to have an ability to get to work,” she told Queen City News.
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Lyles said the increase is needed to meet the demands of a rapidly growing metro area.
“It’s worth a penny to be able to grow in a substantially safe, and heathy way,” said Lyles.
SB 145 was filed by a trio of local Republicans. But during an event Monday at the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, Pro Tem Phil Berger would not predict the bill’s fate.
“We will see…the bill was introduced today; we’ll see where things go as far as members are concerned,” said Berger.
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House Speaker Destin Hall gave a similar answer but argued his colleagues in the lower chamber should be able to see the merits of the legislation, “Most of our membership understands it’s important to invest in infrastructure, you’ve seen us do that across the state in a number of different areas.”
Neither Hall nor Berger plans to lobby their fellow lawmakers to vote for the bill.
If the bill can garner enough support within a finite period, it’s possible Mecklenburg residents could vote on the increase by the end of the year.
The post Mecklenburg County sales tax increase inches closer to voter approval with new bill first appeared on Enegxi News – News As It’s Happening.
