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June 11, 2012
APEX
Mayor Keith Weatherly

ASHEVILLE
Mayor Terry Bellamy

BOONE
Mayor Loretta Clawson

BURLINGTON
Mayor Ronnie Wall

CARRBORO
Mayor Mark Chilton

CARY
Mayor Harold Weinbrecht

CHAPEL HILL
Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt

CHARLOTTE
Mayor Anthony Foxx

CONCORD
Mayor J. Scott Padgett
Vice Chair

DURHAM
Mayor William V. Bell
Chair

FAYETTEVILLE
Mayor Anthony Chavonne

GASTONIA
Mayor John Bridgeman

GOLDSBORO
Mayor Al King

GREENSBORO
Mayor Robbie Perkins
 
GREENVILLE
Mayor Allen Thomas

HICKORY
Mayor Rudy Wright

HIGH POINT
Mayor Rebecca Smothers

HUNTERSVILLE
Mayor Jill Swain

JACKSONVILLE
Mayor Sammy Phillips

KANNAPOLIS
Mayor Robert Misenheimer

MONROE
Mayor Bobby Kilgore

 

MOORESVILLE
Mayor Miles Atkins

RALEIGH
Mayor Nancy McFarlane

ROCKY MOUNT
Mayor David Combs
 Treasurer
 
SALISBURY
Mayor Paul Woodson

WILSON
Mayor Bruce Rose

WINSTON-SALEM
Mayor Allen Joines

WILMINGTON
Mayor Bill Saffo
Summary of Senate Transportation Budget

The Senate released their budget around midnight last night and revealed a transportation budget different from the House on many key provisions. The Senate will hear public comments on the budget tomorrow morning. Any amendments to the bill in Appropriations Committee are required to be submitted by 10am tomorrow morning.  Click here for the money document and here for the special provisions

Like the House version the Senate caps the gas tax at 37.5 cents, but does not include the House's 35 cent project planning cap.

The Senate goes easier on the secondary roads program cutting only $17.7 million rather than the House's $39.4 million. But the Senate does require NCDOT to perform a statewide prioritization of the unpaved secondary roads and pave them in that order regardless of equity formula constraints. This means secondary roads would be added to the list of projects and programs exempt from the equity formula.

While the House reduced the funding for Public Transportation Division grant programs, the Senate took a different approach to cutting the State's transit programs by eliminating the New Starts Program and transferring the $28.9 million to the General Maintenance Reserve. The Charlotte light rail Blue Line Extension is the only project in the New Starts Program.   The budget bill specifically says public transportation appropriations shall not be expended on any fixed guideway project in Mecklenburg County. There is an additional provision that says fixed guideway projects can compete for Highway Trust Fund dollars under the equity formula.

Another major difference in the two budgets is in treatment of the State's ferry system. The House intended to delay the start of the new ferry tolling called for in last year's budget while the Senate goes beyond last year's budget which left two routes still untolled and instead calls for tolling all ferries now.

The Senate captures unencumbered funds from the Mid Currituck Bridge and Garden Parkway that NCDOT has estimated they will not need in the fiscal year.

Both Chambers put tighter controls on NCDOT's use of the credit reserve balance in the Highway Fund, but the Senate gave a higher threshold for single project expenditures ($5 million rather than $2 million).

Both Chambers embrace the Mobility Fund by codifying the NCDOT formulas for the program.

The Senate rolls S888 - Ethics Requirements for MPOs/RPOs - into the budget bill.

The Senate repeals the Program Evaluation Division study of the N.C. Railroad.

The Senate rolls H1134 - NCDOT To Study Tolls On I-95 - but removes the provision that would allow the General Assembly to veto the project.

That's all for now,

Julie White

Director, NC Metro Mayors Coalition

Contact Information

The North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors Coalition was founded in 2001 by large-city mayors and today represents the state's 28 largest cities and more than three million citizens. The Coalition, closely affiliated with the N.C. League of Municipalities, remains a nonpartisan, mayor-driven organization advocating on issues that affect large cities in a fast-growing and urbanizing state.  The Coalition has successfully worked with federal and state elected officials to promote job creation,protect local revenue streams, invest in infrastructure, and keep our cities safe.

 

Julie White, Director

N.C. Metropolitan Mayors Coalition

jwhite@nclm.org

http://ncmetromayors.com/

919-715-7895 office

919-675-1393 cell