BS: Alright, Kelly. You’ve now checked in on two meetings of a subcommittee aimed at finding alternative funding for infrastructure. I know you love a good subcommittee — what’s the deal?
KK: Yeah, these are meetings of a smaller committee under the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization. Basically, they’ve heard a million times that people want a toll-free replacement for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, and they know there are dozens and dozens of unfunded infrastructure and transportation projects in the region — about a $7 billion gap between needs and available funding from NCDOT. So they have been meeting to try to find a solution.
BS: What were some of the ideas?
KK: Well, last month, they looked at a bunch of options, ranging from fees for vehicle rentals and registration to a transportation bond, to a tax on vehicle licenses. But one option rose to the top: a sales tax.
BS: Didn’t we try this before?
KK: Yeah, a quarter-cent transportation tax effort failed in New Hanover County in 2022.
BS: And, as we’ve discussed before, officials think some of that had to do with people misunderstanding the ¼ cent sales tax to mean a quarter — as in, 25 cents on the dollar, not a quarter on 100 dollars.
KK: Exactly. And they thought the messaging was a bit muddled, whereas the public campaign in this case should be a lot more straightforward. Here’s Brunswick County Commissioner Frank Williams: "I think it will be easier to sell this in Brunswick and New Hanover, because no one wants a toll on that bridge, and this is your only other choice. So I think there's your marketing pitch. If you don't want a toll, you have to vote for this.”
BS: That’s definitely a bit more straightforward than “some of this goes to buses, some to bike lanes, and some to the intractable rail realignment project.”
KK: Exactly. Members were talking about figuring out the top four projects in each county, and putting that forward when asking voters to vote for a tax. Especially since Pender voters won’t care nearly as much about the bridge — they’ll need to bring up projects that more directly impact the folks living in Hampstead or Rocky Point.
BS: Okay, so what would it look like to get this tri-county sales tax on the ballot?
KK: Ben, it’s so complicated. First of all, they need to decide if they want it or not. I’ll pass on the message from New Hanover County Commissioner Dane Scalise that he wants to hear from residents about what they think of these plans for a 1-cent tax: whether it’s worthwhile to prevent a toll, whether it should sunset, all of that.
BS: Okay, so say resident feedback convinces them to go forward, then what?
KK: The WMPO board would vote to approve exploring this option. Then the three county commissions would need to adopt resolutions saying they want it, and bring that to the legislature. Because, by the way, this isn’t currently allowed under statute anywhere except Mecklenburg County, which got an experimental carveout earlier this year.
BS: Oh, I remember that. They’re going to ask voters for a 1-cent tax to pay for public transit and other transportation infrastructure.
KK: Exactly. So basically, we’d do the same, but in a way that suits this region particularly. The region would have to show up to the legislature as one joint voice to be taken seriously. Then! If the legislature passes the law, the counties could create a tri-county transportation authority.
BS: New government body just dropped!
KK: You got it. That authority would likely be governed by a commission of elected officials from within the region. And that body would create the language for a sales tax referendum, and each county commission would need to vote to put it on the ballot of some future election. THEN voters will get to vote on it.
BS: What if the counties all vote differently? If Pender says no, and New Hanover and Brunswick say yes?
KK: If that happens, the tax can go forward in just those two counties, and the funding would likely not go to Pender County projects. I’m a bit unclear on whether that would change the makeup of the authority’s governing body — that’s something they’ll need to figure out as they draft this plan before bringing it to the local legislators. But first, they’re hoping to hear from you listeners, and everyone else in the region.
BS: You heard it here first, folks! We’ll have links for your local officials — in the mean time, thanks for your reporting, Kelly.
KK: No problem!
You can find members of the WMPO Board of Directors here. Elected officials on the Alternative Funding Subcommittee include New Hanover Commissioner Dane Scalise, Brunswick County Commissioner Frank Williams, Pender County Commissioner Brad George, City Councilman Luke Waddell, and Wrightsville Beach Mayor Pro-Tem Hank Miller.
