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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> June 13, 2022 <br /> <br />To the Members of the North Carolina General Assembly, <br /> <br />We, the undersigned mayors, join together to support a critically important legislative effort to <br />devote a portion of state sales tax revenues to seriously needed investments in our state’s <br />transportation system. We are pleased to join our state’s business community and state-wide <br />transportation advocates to encourage the General Assembly to take action during the short <br />session. <br /> <br />As mayors, we believe additional transportation funding would come at a critical and opportune <br />time. While our economy and population are growing, funding for the transportation system is <br />stretched thin and many important transportation improvements have been delayed or shelved <br />due to a need for additional funding. Several factors make this the right time to take a step <br />forward to modernize our transportation finance: <br /> Our state’s primary funding source for transportation (the gas tax) is expected to decline in <br />the coming years as more electric vehicles are on our roads. <br /> Inflation and population growth both highlight the need for additional funding to keep our <br />short- and long-term projects on track to meet the future needs of our citizens and economy. <br /> Building and maintaining the resilient and responsive transportation system that our <br />businesses and communities need requires additional, and unexpected, investments. <br /> <br />Now is the best time to make an important forward-looking adjustment to our state’s <br />transportation financing by modernizing and diversifying the revenue sources that support our <br />system. Current discussions and proposals (such as S793) in the General Assembly have focused on <br />devoting a portion of sales tax revenue to transportation at a level that reflects the transportation- <br />related sales and use tax collections. Sales tax collections from transportation related sales and <br />services (such as car parts and repairs), generates over $500 million a year. Dedicating these <br />transportation related revenues to our transportation system does not raise taxes, but <br />expands upon the long-standing tradition of “user pays” for transportation finance. It just makes <br />sense to make this shift. The collections of transportation related sales and use taxes have been <br />growing at the same time as the demand for state transportation investments to support our <br />economy and mobility are also growing. <br /> <br />We are proud of the North Carolina transportation system. The partnership our cities have with <br />the General Assembly and the NCDOT to plan, build, and maintain one of our nation’s best <br />transportation systems is exemplary, but it is a system that should never be taken for granted. It <br />has been a vital part of creating economic opportunity for our citizens, both urban and rural <br />residents. Transportation development and construction require sustainable funding and planning <br />that looks many years ahead and we know, once you fall behind, it is too late. <br /> <br />If we are to grow and nurture our economy and protect our quality of life, we MUST INVEST NOW <br />for the future. That is why we stand with our business community and the members of the NC <br />Chamber of Commerce’s Destination 2030 Coalition to ask that the General Assembly take action <br />this short session. The time is right and the conditions for the investments to carry us forward may <br />never be better than they are today. Bold action now will bear fruit for many years to come. <br /> <br />CHAPEL HILL <br />Mayor Pam Hemminger <br />Chair <br /> <br />WILMINGTON <br />Mayor Bill Saffo <br />Vice Chair <br /> <br />CONCORD <br />Mayor Bill Dusch <br />Treasurer <br /> <br />GREENSBORO <br />Mayor Nancy Vaughan <br />Past Chair <br /> <br />APEX <br />Mayor Jacques Gilbert <br /> <br />ASHEVILLE <br />Mayor Esther Manheimer <br /> <br />BOONE <br />Mayor Tim Futrelle <br /> <br />BURLINGTON <br />Mayor Jim Butler <br /> <br />CARRBORO <br />Mayor Damon Seils <br /> <br />CARY <br />Mayor Harold Weinbrecht <br /> <br />CHARLOTTE <br />Mayor Vi Lyles <br /> <br />CORNELIUS <br />Mayor Woody Washam <br /> <br />DURHAM <br />Mayor Elaine O’Neal <br /> <br />FAYETTEVILLE <br />Mayor Mitch Colvin <br /> <br />FUQUAY-VARINA <br />Mayor Blake Massengill <br /> <br />GASTONIA <br />Mayor Walker Reid <br /> <br />GREENVILLE <br />Mayor P.J. Connelly <br /> <br />GOLDSBORO <br />Mayor David Ham <br /> <br />HICKORY <br />Mayor Hank Guess <br /> <br />HOLLY SPRINGS <br />Mayor Sean Mayefskie <br /> <br />JACKSONVILLE <br />Mayor Sammy Phillips <br /> <br />KANNAPOLIS <br />Mayor Darrell HInnant <br /> <br />MATTHEWS <br />Mayor John F. Higdon <br /> <br />MOORESVILLE <br />Mayor Miles Atkins <br /> <br />NEW BERN <br />Mayor Dana Outlaw <br /> <br />RALEIGH <br />Mayor Mary Ann Baldwin <br /> <br />ROCKY MOUNT <br />Mayor Sandy Roberson <br /> <br />SALISBURY <br />Mayor Karen Alexander <br /> <br />STATESVILLE <br />Mayor Costi Kutteh <br /> <br />WILSON <br />Mayor Carlton Stevens <br /> <br />WINSTON-SALEM <br />Mayor Allen Joines <br /> <br />DIRECTOR William A. (Beau) Mills <br />Beau.mills@metromayors.com <br />(919) 637-0873 <br />www.ncmetromayors.com <br /> <br />83