Mayors Woods and Travis - Dead Men Walking

Today stands to be one of the most interesting days in the history of North Mecklenburg politics.

Last week, we reported on the ill thought out trip by local Mayors John Woods and Chuck Travis of Davidson and Cornelius to see Senate leader Phil Berger.  The purpose of their trip was to advocate for the I77 HOT lanes in contradiction to the official position of their respective Boards.  In both cases the men claimed to only be expressing their personal opinions and not those of their respective towns.

Nobody bought it.

The public response has been swift, vicious, and very likely fatal to both of their political legacies.

Almost immediately reports began swirling that Cornelius would seek to oust Mayor Travis.  That Board had already censured his previouy for his off script actions on opposition to the town's official position.  Then on Monday, CorneliusToday.com posted a detailed story about what's likely to happen to Travis.

He will very likely will receive a vote of no confidence and then be asked to resign at a special merting called for Tuesday.

Over in Davidson, the situation is more fluid.

Davidson Commissioners have been tight lipped about what may happen to Mayor Woods.  Will he receive a censure?  Will he receive the same treatment as Travis?  Nobody is saying for sure.

However, one citizen posted responses from several Commissioners on Facebook to those questions.  The response was that the Board had met with Woods regarding the Raleigh meeting and that they were "disappointed" in his response.

It would seem unlikely that the Davidson Board would do nothing.  An agenda item for the I77 Managed Lanes project has been added for tonight.  If no official action or very weak action is taken, the public would see that as the Board being complicit in what Woods did.  They certainly do not want that as it would turn the public’s ire on them.

How all of this plays out is sure to be a spectacle, and it could have far ranging impacts.

Any political cover Senator Phil Berger was hoping to get from last week's meeting will have been stripped away.  Berger was clearly hoping to hold up these two renegade mayors as the reason for his holding up the bill to cancel the toll project.

If both of those mayors receive serious punishment, that plan will have fully backfired.