Well, Tuesday night in Cornelius and Davidson came and went with both Mayors still standing.
In Cornelius, as expected the Board unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in Mayor Chuck Travis - a vote he summarily ignored and one where he defiantly stated he would not resign.
The meeting was over in minutes.
Where the Board goes from here is hard to know. What do you do with a sitting mayor who could not possibly have a working relationship with his Board, and it's over 16 months until election day?
In Davidson as was said earlier, the situation was "fluid". That fluid turned out to be something like really watered down coffee that does absolutely nothing but leave a bad taste in your mouth.
For going to Raleigh and advocating a position contrary to the Board's position, Davidson Commissioners did nothing to Mayor Woods. Not a reprimand, not an official censure, not a no confidence vote. Nothing!
Instead, they just passed a resolution reaffirming their position against the project and contract.
Oh, wait...no, they did do something to Mayor Woods.
They took the harsh action of not letting Woods sign the resolution they passed. The Board will sign it instead.
Commissioners Cashion, Fuller and Jenest plan to deliver that new resolution in a Raleigh press conference organized by Senator Jeff Tarte on Wednesday.
During the comments on the subject of the Mayor's visit commissioners danced around the subject and repeatedly said they were "disappointed". Only Commissioner Graham gave a detailed reason for the Board taking no official action against Woods.
Graham spoke about 5 Commissioners not overriding the vote of the people that elected Woods. That's a position that could actually be respected if a vote of no confidence and seeking a resignation was the only option. It wasn't. The Board could have issued a censure of Woods. They didn't.
Not being willing to go even that far considering what Woods did to undermine the Board simply invites more of the same.
Also during the commissioner comments, Commissioner Brian Jenest spoke about "trust" and how officials have to be careful not to damage it. Ironically, the lack of action by the Board greatly damaged public trust. That is a certainty.
In fact, it may have done as much damage to that trust as Woods's initial actions did. And that may be the saddest part of all.
Showing posts with label Chuck Travis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chuck Travis. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
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.
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.
Thursday, March 3, 2016
The Texas con of Mayberry starts to come undone
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| Mayberry con man "Dan Caldwell" |
With Cintra's announcement that its SH 130 toll operation in Texas is headed to bankruptcy court, the future of the I77 project is becoming even more clear if it is allowed to go forward - as in "this can happen here."
Cintra's US operation is based in Texas. As we've pointed out here, there are Texas connections to our toll project in Lake Norman that lead all the way to Governor McCrory. Now, Governor Pat - in a completely transparent effort at damage control during campaign season - is dispatching NCDOT to Texas to "reassess" what can be done about NC's contract with Cintra on the very similar I77 project. .
Readers will remember that just late last year, Mayors Travis and Woods from Cornelius and Davidson also travelled to Texas to review Cintra's operations. They came back with a glowing report of a road that is nothing like what's planned for Lake Norman - the North Tarrant Express.
Like Barney Fife, they bought the bait and switch con.
Fortunately, all of our local electeds aren't so gullible.
Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jim Puckett, playing the role of the sensible Sheriff Andy Taylor, provided the below comment to aShortChronicle.
"This action in Texas is just the latest in a series of defaults, bankruptcies and systematic failures for Cintra and their partners. While the bankruptcy in Texas is not directly linked to the I-77 project the similarities in design and the projected revenues etc. have long been offered by NCDOT as an example of why they choose to go this route. I and the majority of my fellow commissioners have long been opposed to this plan and have repeatedly asked for first a delay in signing the contract and after the fact asking for cancellation. I hope I speak for all of us when I say that while our wisdom and subsequent request have heretofore been ignored I hope NCDOT and the governor will now follow our official request and cancel this contract. Attorney General Cooper told me personally that he would "vigorously" fight for the citizens of NC in fighting any lawsuits that may arise from cancellation and I have no reason to doubt his resolve and skills in working with the governor and the legislature to bring this to a quick and affordable conclusion."
Like an old episode of the Andy Griffith show, let's hope this con is finally foiled by our own various versions of Sheriff Taylor before it's too late!
Thursday, February 4, 2016
#NCGA - Pro-Toll Mayor Travis continues support of Pro-Toll Rep Fraley
There are lots of sayings in the rough and tumble game of running for public office. One of them is “money is the mother’s milk of politics.”
With last Friday’s deadline for submitting campaign finance reports now in the rear view mirror, we get the first glimpse at how candidates are doing in this phase of the run-up to next month’s primaries. That should definitely provide some interesting fodder in coming weeks for those who follow local elections closely.
With so much going on with the I77 tolls project recently, it seemed like a good idea to check up on the report for NC House 95 Representative, John Fraley. Fraley is currently the only Lake Norman area member of the General Assembly still openly supporting the project and its controversial contract with Spanish firm Cintra’s local subsidiary - I77 Mobility Partners.
When Fraley challenged Mooresville’s Robert Brawley for the seat back in 2014, his candidacy was widely speculated to be an effort supported by Raleigh power brokers backing the tolling project – people such as Thom Tillis, then the Speaker of the NC House. Back then, Brawley had been involved in a very public spat with the Speaker largely over the plan to put HOT lanes on I77.
Fraley’s 2014 campaign finance reports were highlighted by huge loans to his campaign from his own personal funds totaling over $80,000. He also raked in 10s of thousands of dollars more in contributions with much of that coming from out of state sources. Much of that war-chest, to the tune of over $64,0000, was spent with a high powered and well connected Raleigh political consulting outfit called The Stewart Group. Fraley’s campaign treasurer also happened to be the same firm used by most Republican US Federal candidates, a firm named CM&CO, out of Raleigh. One of that firm’s largest clients that cycle according to OpenSecrets.com just happened to also be the Thom Tillis US Senate campaign.
With all that political fire power backing him, Fraley eked out the primary election victory against Brawley by a mere 106 votes.
However, all of that may not be the most interesting thing about Fraley's reports that cycle. The most interesting was one donation from an address in Cornelius. That address would match the address on Cornelius Mayor Chuck Travis’s campaign reports. However, the name on the donation was not that of the Mayor, instead it was from his wife. In fact, the $2000 donation was one of the largest individual donations Fraley received last go-round.
All of that just provides a little background. What does it have to do with this cycle, you may be asking?
Here are two things.
First, Fraley has raised and spent much less this time – a mere $20,000 raised and less than $3,000 spent – leaving him with cash on hand of about $23,000. Things could certainly change after this report, but that’s a clear indication he believes he has little to fear from his primary challenger this time. That would be political newcomer and anti-toll candidate David W Thomson of Mooresville.
The second is that one of his biggest donors, continues to come from that same address linked to Cornelius Mayor and HOT lanes supporter, Chuck Travis. This time though, there is really no mistaking where that money originated. The name on the check is Travis’s, or more specifically the “Chuck Travis for Mayor” campaign committee. Travis raised an unusual amount of money last time for someone running unopposed – over $35,000. It was many times what he'd raised for his previous local campaigns.
Travis serves on the state's Turnpike Authority Board, so sending some of his leftover campaign cash to a fellow toll supporter to use in this cycle somehow seems sort of fitting.
That brings to mind another saying…
“Birds of a feather….”
With last Friday’s deadline for submitting campaign finance reports now in the rear view mirror, we get the first glimpse at how candidates are doing in this phase of the run-up to next month’s primaries. That should definitely provide some interesting fodder in coming weeks for those who follow local elections closely.
With so much going on with the I77 tolls project recently, it seemed like a good idea to check up on the report for NC House 95 Representative, John Fraley. Fraley is currently the only Lake Norman area member of the General Assembly still openly supporting the project and its controversial contract with Spanish firm Cintra’s local subsidiary - I77 Mobility Partners.
When Fraley challenged Mooresville’s Robert Brawley for the seat back in 2014, his candidacy was widely speculated to be an effort supported by Raleigh power brokers backing the tolling project – people such as Thom Tillis, then the Speaker of the NC House. Back then, Brawley had been involved in a very public spat with the Speaker largely over the plan to put HOT lanes on I77.
Fraley’s 2014 campaign finance reports were highlighted by huge loans to his campaign from his own personal funds totaling over $80,000. He also raked in 10s of thousands of dollars more in contributions with much of that coming from out of state sources. Much of that war-chest, to the tune of over $64,0000, was spent with a high powered and well connected Raleigh political consulting outfit called The Stewart Group. Fraley’s campaign treasurer also happened to be the same firm used by most Republican US Federal candidates, a firm named CM&CO, out of Raleigh. One of that firm’s largest clients that cycle according to OpenSecrets.com just happened to also be the Thom Tillis US Senate campaign.
With all that political fire power backing him, Fraley eked out the primary election victory against Brawley by a mere 106 votes.
However, all of that may not be the most interesting thing about Fraley's reports that cycle. The most interesting was one donation from an address in Cornelius. That address would match the address on Cornelius Mayor Chuck Travis’s campaign reports. However, the name on the donation was not that of the Mayor, instead it was from his wife. In fact, the $2000 donation was one of the largest individual donations Fraley received last go-round.
All of that just provides a little background. What does it have to do with this cycle, you may be asking?
Here are two things.
First, Fraley has raised and spent much less this time – a mere $20,000 raised and less than $3,000 spent – leaving him with cash on hand of about $23,000. Things could certainly change after this report, but that’s a clear indication he believes he has little to fear from his primary challenger this time. That would be political newcomer and anti-toll candidate David W Thomson of Mooresville.
The second is that one of his biggest donors, continues to come from that same address linked to Cornelius Mayor and HOT lanes supporter, Chuck Travis. This time though, there is really no mistaking where that money originated. The name on the check is Travis’s, or more specifically the “Chuck Travis for Mayor” campaign committee. Travis raised an unusual amount of money last time for someone running unopposed – over $35,000. It was many times what he'd raised for his previous local campaigns.
Travis serves on the state's Turnpike Authority Board, so sending some of his leftover campaign cash to a fellow toll supporter to use in this cycle somehow seems sort of fitting.
That brings to mind another saying…
“Birds of a feather….”
Monday, November 23, 2015
I77 continues to stir the pot for local politicos
In the ongoing fallout of this month's election, Local politicos have continued to spin, react, position, and use the I77 HOT lanes issue to varying degrees of effectiveness.
In a press release last Monday where his pending toll road education trip to Texas along with Davidson Mayor John Woods was revealed, Cornelius Mayor Chuck Travis chose to take the "whistling past the graveyard" approach. Considering what happened to his fellow pro-toller, Mayor Jill Swain in Huntersville, it seemed a bit tone deaf for Travis to say...
"First and foremost, I want to thank the residents of Cornelius for the vote of confidence to serve as the Mayor of our wonderful Town. On election day, even though I was unopposed, I received the highest number of votes of any candidate running for office in our Town. I appreciate the trust that you have placed in me to lead our Town for the next two years. I take the role of Mayor seriously and respect the responsibility to hold this office."
While the bubble was burst regarding the vote totals in the unopposed Davidson and Cornelius Mayoral races in this piece last week. Cornelius Commissioner Dave Gilroy's said it more directly in his most recent newsletter in Sunday.
"Note to Davidson’s Mayor John Woods and Cornelius’s Mayor Chuck Travis who are both lovely gentlemen, but have been hand-in-hand for years with Swaine in supporting I-77 Tolls (which the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce recently stated would cause “irreparable damage to our region”). With no doubt whatsoever, both Woods and Travis would have similarly gone down in flames had they faced any viable opposition."
Then there is State Rep Charles Jeter. Though, in Jeter's case, rather than his own statements, he was on the receiving end of multiple ads on the subject of the HOT lanes - ads that came from two completely different directions.
The first ad appearing in local papers said Jeter is the one with the power to stop the tolls...
The second appeared on a billboard along 77 saying Jeter is the one to blame for putting them in place...
In the aftermath of Monday's "summit" where the State once again kicked the can back to CRTPO and with candidate filing for the NCGA set to open December-1, we can likely expect the hard hitting comments on tolls to keep coming.
The topic was an effective one in our recent municipal elections and will likely be in the forefront for many elections to come.
In a press release last Monday where his pending toll road education trip to Texas along with Davidson Mayor John Woods was revealed, Cornelius Mayor Chuck Travis chose to take the "whistling past the graveyard" approach. Considering what happened to his fellow pro-toller, Mayor Jill Swain in Huntersville, it seemed a bit tone deaf for Travis to say...
"First and foremost, I want to thank the residents of Cornelius for the vote of confidence to serve as the Mayor of our wonderful Town. On election day, even though I was unopposed, I received the highest number of votes of any candidate running for office in our Town. I appreciate the trust that you have placed in me to lead our Town for the next two years. I take the role of Mayor seriously and respect the responsibility to hold this office."
While the bubble was burst regarding the vote totals in the unopposed Davidson and Cornelius Mayoral races in this piece last week. Cornelius Commissioner Dave Gilroy's said it more directly in his most recent newsletter in Sunday.
"Note to Davidson’s Mayor John Woods and Cornelius’s Mayor Chuck Travis who are both lovely gentlemen, but have been hand-in-hand for years with Swaine in supporting I-77 Tolls (which the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce recently stated would cause “irreparable damage to our region”). With no doubt whatsoever, both Woods and Travis would have similarly gone down in flames had they faced any viable opposition."
Then there is State Rep Charles Jeter. Though, in Jeter's case, rather than his own statements, he was on the receiving end of multiple ads on the subject of the HOT lanes - ads that came from two completely different directions.
The first ad appearing in local papers said Jeter is the one with the power to stop the tolls...
The second appeared on a billboard along 77 saying Jeter is the one to blame for putting them in place...
In the aftermath of Monday's "summit" where the State once again kicked the can back to CRTPO and with candidate filing for the NCGA set to open December-1, we can likely expect the hard hitting comments on tolls to keep coming.
The topic was an effective one in our recent municipal elections and will likely be in the forefront for many elections to come.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Cornelius and Davidson had elections, too!
With all of the attention given to the election results in Huntersville, it might be tempting to forget that all of the local municipalities had elections two weeks ago. Not much has been said about the elections in Cornelius and Davidson, but voters there also trekked to the polls earlier this month.
Last week, some more detailed numbers were available from the Mecklenburg Board of Elections that are worth a look.
As one might expect Huntersville had the largest number of voters heading to the polls. With competitive races and by far the largest population, that is not surprising. However, when it comes to turnout rate, that top “honor” goes to Davidson.
14.61% of Davidsonians headed to the polls, followed by 13.93% of Huntersville’s registered voters, with only 13.25% of Cornelius’s voters making it out. While saying the “honor” goes to Davidson for the highest turnout is true, that needs to be said with some serious air quotes around it. It is a pretty sad state of affairs when all three towns had less than 15% turnout.
A closer looks at the numbers in the Mayoral races also revealed some interesting tidbits.
By now most people are aware if how lopsided the contested race in Huntersville turned out to be. But what may surprise people are a couple of things that occurred in the uncontested races in Cornelius and Davidson.
At first glance both contests had margins of victory for the incumbents reminiscent of what you might see in Castro’s Cuba or the Kim Dynasty in North Korea. Chuck Travis won in Cornelius with 93.9% and John Woods won in Davidson with 87.9%.
Write in candidates got a cumulative 6.1% and 12.1% respectively in the two towns which actually seems a bit high – particularly for Davidson. However, after looking at the turnout data provided by the Board of Elections, it is clear there was a significant protest vote beyond even just the write-ins.
in North Carolina only votes where a candidate is actually selected actually end up being counted – meaning if a ballot is left blank for a given race, that ballot is not counted in the total winning percentage. These ballots are considered “spoiled” for this given race where they are left blank. Not counting these ballots, makes the actual winning percentage look artificially high versus the overall total of voters who went to the polls.
So, what were the actual winning percentages when these “spoiled” ballots are included?
In Cornelius, Mayor Travis got 74.20% of actual ballots cast. In Davidson, Mayor Woods got a little less, coming in at 72.66%. In fact in PCT 127 on Davidson’s east side, Woods actually slipped below 70% with only 69.6% pulling the lever for him.
So, what does it mean when more that 25% of voters won’t cast a vote for the only name available on the ballot?
An inquiry with the UNC School of Government did not turn up any academic research on the subject of “protest votes”, but a quick comparison to Huntersville sheds some light on it. In Huntersville where people had two choices and both candidates were reasonable options, the overall protest vote was just 0.4%.
It would seem that Davidson and Cornelius just need more candidates and more options. If they had them, those candidates would likely be starting from a pretty solid base to make a run at the top spots in these two towns. In fact, if those options had existed, we very well may be taking about replacing all three Mayors in North Mecklenburg rather than just one.
Clearly, the main issue driving the electoral shellacking in Huntersville was the I77 HOT lanes. It stands to reason, that same issue was at work creating the high level of “protest” voting in Davidson and Cornelius where both mayors had similar stances as Huntersville Mayor Jill Swain.
This post originally appeared in this week's Herald Weekly at huntersvilleherald.com.
Last week, some more detailed numbers were available from the Mecklenburg Board of Elections that are worth a look.
As one might expect Huntersville had the largest number of voters heading to the polls. With competitive races and by far the largest population, that is not surprising. However, when it comes to turnout rate, that top “honor” goes to Davidson.
14.61% of Davidsonians headed to the polls, followed by 13.93% of Huntersville’s registered voters, with only 13.25% of Cornelius’s voters making it out. While saying the “honor” goes to Davidson for the highest turnout is true, that needs to be said with some serious air quotes around it. It is a pretty sad state of affairs when all three towns had less than 15% turnout.
A closer looks at the numbers in the Mayoral races also revealed some interesting tidbits.
By now most people are aware if how lopsided the contested race in Huntersville turned out to be. But what may surprise people are a couple of things that occurred in the uncontested races in Cornelius and Davidson.
At first glance both contests had margins of victory for the incumbents reminiscent of what you might see in Castro’s Cuba or the Kim Dynasty in North Korea. Chuck Travis won in Cornelius with 93.9% and John Woods won in Davidson with 87.9%.
Write in candidates got a cumulative 6.1% and 12.1% respectively in the two towns which actually seems a bit high – particularly for Davidson. However, after looking at the turnout data provided by the Board of Elections, it is clear there was a significant protest vote beyond even just the write-ins.
in North Carolina only votes where a candidate is actually selected actually end up being counted – meaning if a ballot is left blank for a given race, that ballot is not counted in the total winning percentage. These ballots are considered “spoiled” for this given race where they are left blank. Not counting these ballots, makes the actual winning percentage look artificially high versus the overall total of voters who went to the polls.
So, what were the actual winning percentages when these “spoiled” ballots are included?
In Cornelius, Mayor Travis got 74.20% of actual ballots cast. In Davidson, Mayor Woods got a little less, coming in at 72.66%. In fact in PCT 127 on Davidson’s east side, Woods actually slipped below 70% with only 69.6% pulling the lever for him.
So, what does it mean when more that 25% of voters won’t cast a vote for the only name available on the ballot?
An inquiry with the UNC School of Government did not turn up any academic research on the subject of “protest votes”, but a quick comparison to Huntersville sheds some light on it. In Huntersville where people had two choices and both candidates were reasonable options, the overall protest vote was just 0.4%.
It would seem that Davidson and Cornelius just need more candidates and more options. If they had them, those candidates would likely be starting from a pretty solid base to make a run at the top spots in these two towns. In fact, if those options had existed, we very well may be taking about replacing all three Mayors in North Mecklenburg rather than just one.
Clearly, the main issue driving the electoral shellacking in Huntersville was the I77 HOT lanes. It stands to reason, that same issue was at work creating the high level of “protest” voting in Davidson and Cornelius where both mayors had similar stances as Huntersville Mayor Jill Swain.
This post originally appeared in this week's Herald Weekly at huntersvilleherald.com.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Mayoral HOT Lanes Bucket Brigade finally comes clean!
A couple of articles in Tuesday's Observer leaves little room for misinterpretation that all three local mayors have been working against the will of the people when it come to implementing HOT lanes.
Not that there ever was really much doubt. We've covered there antics over the past few years in pieces like this, this, and this.
Today, first there is this piece recounting outgoing Huntersville Mayor Jill Swain's unequivacle support for the HOT Lanes project saying to the Observer...
“What we need to do now is we need to move forward. We need to let this happen.”
During the campaign all we ever heard was that saying Swain supported tolls was somehow spreading misinformation. It appears those who defended her on this point were the ones being less than truthful.
In the second article in the Observer, it was revealed North Meck Mayors Travis and Woods have apparently been planning a boondoggle to Texas for "months" now to see Cintra's tolling operation.
“This is a fact-finding mission for information sharing and forecasting that we can report back to our community."
They better hurry.
Somewhat ironically, on the same day that story hit the news, this one out of Texas also broke. It looks like the legislative tide has turned in the Lone Star State against managed lanes projects like the I77 HOT lanes.
In Texas...
"House Transportation Committee Chair Joe Pickett signaled he’s on a war path to end toll managed lanes at a hearing of the Select Committee on Transportation Planning last week."
Those are the current facts on the ground in Texas.
How much do you want to bet we don't hear anything about that from the Travis-Woods fact finding tour?
Bonus Observation: The Observer made a big point of saying Travis and Woods are paying their own way to Texas and Cintra/NCDOT aren't covering the bill.
That being the case, paying their own way is the only way they could go. After last week's pasting at the polls in Huntersville, does anyone see the Cornelius or Huntersville Boards paying for it?
Not that there ever was really much doubt. We've covered there antics over the past few years in pieces like this, this, and this.
Today, first there is this piece recounting outgoing Huntersville Mayor Jill Swain's unequivacle support for the HOT Lanes project saying to the Observer...
“What we need to do now is we need to move forward. We need to let this happen.”
During the campaign all we ever heard was that saying Swain supported tolls was somehow spreading misinformation. It appears those who defended her on this point were the ones being less than truthful.
In the second article in the Observer, it was revealed North Meck Mayors Travis and Woods have apparently been planning a boondoggle to Texas for "months" now to see Cintra's tolling operation.
“This is a fact-finding mission for information sharing and forecasting that we can report back to our community."
They better hurry.
Somewhat ironically, on the same day that story hit the news, this one out of Texas also broke. It looks like the legislative tide has turned in the Lone Star State against managed lanes projects like the I77 HOT lanes.
In Texas...
"House Transportation Committee Chair Joe Pickett signaled he’s on a war path to end toll managed lanes at a hearing of the Select Committee on Transportation Planning last week."
Those are the current facts on the ground in Texas.
How much do you want to bet we don't hear anything about that from the Travis-Woods fact finding tour?
Bonus Observation: The Observer made a big point of saying Travis and Woods are paying their own way to Texas and Cintra/NCDOT aren't covering the bill.
That being the case, paying their own way is the only way they could go. After last week's pasting at the polls in Huntersville, does anyone see the Cornelius or Huntersville Boards paying for it?
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Election 2015 Cornelius recommendations...
Election Day is upon us and it is time to head to the polls. Here are some suggestions for Cornelius based on the methodology outlined in my upcoming column from this week's Herald Weekly. Be sure to check that out on Thursday.
Cornelius is fortunate to have a solid Board and a solid list of candidates. With only six candidates and just one open seat on the Board, it is guaranteed there will be a number of familiar faces on the Board after Election Day.
Commissioner Dave Gilroy should be at the top of your list. He has been a stalwart on the Board for years ensuring the town maintains low taxes and avoids bad decisions. (i.e. Mi-Connection, I77 HOT lanes). More than maybe any other elected official in North Mecklenburg, Gilroy is unafraid to speak his mind, ask hard questions, and hold your government accountable at any level.
Also on your list should be Dr Mike Miltich.
Miltich narrowly missed making the Board last time falling just 138 votes short.
A few months later, Miltich should have been selected as the replacement for John Bradford when Bradford stepped down from the Board to run for the legislature. That would have been the right thing to do, but unfortunately in a divided decision someone who did not even run for office was selected.
Dr Mike showing the fortitude to run again in the face of that kind of "politics" is admirable. Plus, he is a committed opponent of the I77 toll project.
As for Mayor, voters should consider leaving this race blank or writing in someone else. As a founding member of the HOT Lanes Bucket Brigade and appointee to the NC Turnpike Authority, Mayor Chuck Travis is fully committed to bringing tolls to the area.
That alone should make it hard for many in Cornelius to pull the lever for him in this uncontested race.
Just my 2 cents...
Cornelius is fortunate to have a solid Board and a solid list of candidates. With only six candidates and just one open seat on the Board, it is guaranteed there will be a number of familiar faces on the Board after Election Day.
Commissioner Dave Gilroy should be at the top of your list. He has been a stalwart on the Board for years ensuring the town maintains low taxes and avoids bad decisions. (i.e. Mi-Connection, I77 HOT lanes). More than maybe any other elected official in North Mecklenburg, Gilroy is unafraid to speak his mind, ask hard questions, and hold your government accountable at any level.
Also on your list should be Dr Mike Miltich.
Miltich narrowly missed making the Board last time falling just 138 votes short.
A few months later, Miltich should have been selected as the replacement for John Bradford when Bradford stepped down from the Board to run for the legislature. That would have been the right thing to do, but unfortunately in a divided decision someone who did not even run for office was selected.
Dr Mike showing the fortitude to run again in the face of that kind of "politics" is admirable. Plus, he is a committed opponent of the I77 toll project.
As for Mayor, voters should consider leaving this race blank or writing in someone else. As a founding member of the HOT Lanes Bucket Brigade and appointee to the NC Turnpike Authority, Mayor Chuck Travis is fully committed to bringing tolls to the area.
That alone should make it hard for many in Cornelius to pull the lever for him in this uncontested race.
Just my 2 cents...
Friday, May 1, 2015
A rough, but telling stretch, for toll road opposition
Since starting this column,, a concerted effort has been made to not write about the same topic two weeks in a row. But for every rule, there is an exception.
This week is one of those exceptions.
The last column told you about a long-shot opportunity to stop the tolling of I77 with HOT lanes through a bill submitted at the General Assembly by local Senator Jeff Tarte.
Well, since writing that piece the project to build toll lanes has gained some momentum in its trek towards financial close of the deal between I77 Mobility Partners – the local offshoot of Spanish contractor, Cintra – and the NCDOT.
The first big piece of the financing puzzle that appears to have fallen in place is the apparent approval of $189 million in Federal loans to I77 Mobility Partners from the TIFIA Credit Council within the US Department of Transportation.
WidenI77.org – the group that has been fighting the toll project - actually broke the story on their website on Friday, April 17th. Members were holding out some hope that their source had “jumped the gun” in providing that information, but it now appears that is only thing left to do is get the signature of the Secretary of Transportation. That just happens to also be from former Charlotte Mayor, Anthony Foxx.
A second major financing event also occurring over the past two weeks. This time the action took place at the state level in the office of the Local Government Commission which is part of the NC Department of State Treasurer.
After two “special meetings” called on the subject of I77 financing, this Tuesday the LGC approved an additional $105 million in bonds to be sponsored by the NCDOT on behalf of I77 Mobility Partners.
So, after multiple delays, special meetings, excused penalties, and more state money being thrown at the project it does now look like the toll road contractor is limping towards financial close on May 17th.
With all of that as backdrop, a few other events occurred over the past two weeks – both locally and nationally - which serve to rub salt in the wound for toll road opponents. They provide a glimpse of the possible future as well as insight in how we got here in the first place.
The first event occurred in Atlanta on the I85 HOT lanes.
On a Monday, 4/21, the road hit a new record high for tolls – $10.50 for a one way trip on the 16 mile stretch of road. That record lasted a single day. On Tuesday the toll hit $11.
Readers may remember when WidenI77.org helped break the news that NCDOT’s own consultants predicted $11 tolls for the I77 project. They helped pry that information from the state with repeated public records requests. Project supporters and some local media decried publicizing those numbers as nothing short of scare tactics. In one email between local mayors, Mayor Swain of Huntersville called the consultants’ report “old news”.
Tolls that high certainly aren't “old news” for those in Atlanta. They are a current and very real hit to the pocketbook.
The second event that could foreshadow the local experience with HOT lanes took place in the Washington, DC area. There, local HOT lanes users are suing toll rode operator, Transurban, for illegally gouging users. In some cases, missed tolls of a few dollars have turned into fines of several thousand dollars once penalties are applied.
Are these events that occurred elsewhere in the country, the kinds of things I77 HOT lanes users can expect over the next 50 years if this project goes forward? Maybe.
The final event getting attention over the past two weeks occurred locally and seems likely to generate more activity.
Last Wednesday, Rep John Bradford of Cornelius announced via his Facebook page that Mayor Chuck Travis of Cornelius had been appointed to the board of the North Carolina Turnpike Authority – the body responsible for rolling out toll roads across the state.
Cornelius has been a hotbed of opposition to the HOT lanes. The irony of the town’s mayor being placed on a board to promote toll roads was not lost on members of another Facebook page – the 2400 member and aptly named “Exit 28 Ridiculousness” page which sees frequent posts about local roads.
Kurt Naas of WidenI77.org posted to the site calling the appointment a “Slap. In. The. Face.”
The appointment seems to have spawned a renewed outpouring of opposition to the project among the “Exit 28 Ridiculousness” community and some WidenI77.org activists. This Friday, 5/1, they are organizing a protest from 430pm – 630pm at Exit 28 itself.
If you are interested in going, it promises to get interesting
This week is one of those exceptions.
The last column told you about a long-shot opportunity to stop the tolling of I77 with HOT lanes through a bill submitted at the General Assembly by local Senator Jeff Tarte.
Well, since writing that piece the project to build toll lanes has gained some momentum in its trek towards financial close of the deal between I77 Mobility Partners – the local offshoot of Spanish contractor, Cintra – and the NCDOT.
The first big piece of the financing puzzle that appears to have fallen in place is the apparent approval of $189 million in Federal loans to I77 Mobility Partners from the TIFIA Credit Council within the US Department of Transportation.
WidenI77.org – the group that has been fighting the toll project - actually broke the story on their website on Friday, April 17th. Members were holding out some hope that their source had “jumped the gun” in providing that information, but it now appears that is only thing left to do is get the signature of the Secretary of Transportation. That just happens to also be from former Charlotte Mayor, Anthony Foxx.
A second major financing event also occurring over the past two weeks. This time the action took place at the state level in the office of the Local Government Commission which is part of the NC Department of State Treasurer.
After two “special meetings” called on the subject of I77 financing, this Tuesday the LGC approved an additional $105 million in bonds to be sponsored by the NCDOT on behalf of I77 Mobility Partners.
So, after multiple delays, special meetings, excused penalties, and more state money being thrown at the project it does now look like the toll road contractor is limping towards financial close on May 17th.
With all of that as backdrop, a few other events occurred over the past two weeks – both locally and nationally - which serve to rub salt in the wound for toll road opponents. They provide a glimpse of the possible future as well as insight in how we got here in the first place.
The first event occurred in Atlanta on the I85 HOT lanes.
On a Monday, 4/21, the road hit a new record high for tolls – $10.50 for a one way trip on the 16 mile stretch of road. That record lasted a single day. On Tuesday the toll hit $11.
Readers may remember when WidenI77.org helped break the news that NCDOT’s own consultants predicted $11 tolls for the I77 project. They helped pry that information from the state with repeated public records requests. Project supporters and some local media decried publicizing those numbers as nothing short of scare tactics. In one email between local mayors, Mayor Swain of Huntersville called the consultants’ report “old news”.
Tolls that high certainly aren't “old news” for those in Atlanta. They are a current and very real hit to the pocketbook.
The second event that could foreshadow the local experience with HOT lanes took place in the Washington, DC area. There, local HOT lanes users are suing toll rode operator, Transurban, for illegally gouging users. In some cases, missed tolls of a few dollars have turned into fines of several thousand dollars once penalties are applied.
Are these events that occurred elsewhere in the country, the kinds of things I77 HOT lanes users can expect over the next 50 years if this project goes forward? Maybe.
The final event getting attention over the past two weeks occurred locally and seems likely to generate more activity.
Last Wednesday, Rep John Bradford of Cornelius announced via his Facebook page that Mayor Chuck Travis of Cornelius had been appointed to the board of the North Carolina Turnpike Authority – the body responsible for rolling out toll roads across the state.
Cornelius has been a hotbed of opposition to the HOT lanes. The irony of the town’s mayor being placed on a board to promote toll roads was not lost on members of another Facebook page – the 2400 member and aptly named “Exit 28 Ridiculousness” page which sees frequent posts about local roads.
Kurt Naas of WidenI77.org posted to the site calling the appointment a “Slap. In. The. Face.”
The appointment seems to have spawned a renewed outpouring of opposition to the project among the “Exit 28 Ridiculousness” community and some WidenI77.org activists. This Friday, 5/1, they are organizing a protest from 430pm – 630pm at Exit 28 itself.
If you are interested in going, it promises to get interesting
A version of this post first appeared in this weeks's Herald Weekly.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
North Meck Mayors + Speaker Thom Tillis (aka The HOT Lanes Bucket Brigade)
When the I77 HOT Lanes issue once again caught fire two weeks ago with the release of new information from NCDOT on potential toll rates, things got hot around North Mecklenburg among elected officials as well.
As reported here last week, Davidson's Town Board declined to have a special meeting to discuss the issue. What may be even more interesting is the amount of water carrying done by the North Mecklenburg Mayors with some help thrown in by NC House Speaker/Republican US Senate Candidate, Thom Tillis. Together, Mayors John Woods, Jill Swain and Chuck Travis - along with Speaker Tillis - formed a bucket brigade to put out the flames.
aShortChronicle obtained several emails outlining how the North Mecklenburg Mayors took the lead in attempting to stem the revolt brewing among the towns' Commissioners. Even with their efforts, 9 of the 16 Commissioners ultimately signed a letter to Governor McCrory and NCDOT requesting a delay in signing the Commercial Close for the project - a request that was ultimately ignored.
As part of Mayor Woods's response to the special meeting request in Davidson, he indicated he would reach out to his fellow "regional mayors". These emails appear to be the result of that effort to squelch the "hoopla" caused by the "well organized anti-group" - Mayor Woods's words to describe those opposing tolls.
After a weekend of activity, Monday evening Mayor Travis from Cornelius sent the below message to the Mayors of Davidson, Huntersville, and Mooresville in response to a message from Huntersville Mayor Jill Swain.
Notice how the release of more information on the I77 HOT Lanes project is described as "non-relevant" and "outdated". Mayor Swain even calls it "old news". If it's such "old news" why is it that just about every news outfit in the region and state is just now reporting on it? When the Stantec report supposedly wasn't "old news" in 2012 it certainly did not get much public attention. Maybe this "old news" was communicated to the Mayors in one of the closed door meetings with consultants like this one specifically designed to avoid public meetings law? In a separate email, Davidson town manager, Leamon Brice, laments about the NCDOT not giving them a heads up this information was coming out. Truly "old news" would not cause such concern.
Also, notice how Mayor Swain dumps this project squarely in Speaker/US Senate Candidate Thom Tillis's lap saying "this is their project, and by God, let them take ownership."
Well, apparently the Speaker did just that.
See the below email just a few hours later from Cornelius Mayor Travis. This is on a separate email thread that includes the Speaker (with everyone using their elected office email accounts this time).
Notice
the repeated references to text messages with the Speaker, and the Speaker's apparent indication that Tarte is "Ok". That would seem to be a reference to Senator Jeff Tarte. The next day Senator Tarte would tell the Charlotte Observer that a legislative review would be conducted before the final, final, we really mean it this time contract is signed with Cintra later this year. This request for review was done "with the support of legislative leaders".
As reported here last week, Davidson's Town Board declined to have a special meeting to discuss the issue. What may be even more interesting is the amount of water carrying done by the North Mecklenburg Mayors with some help thrown in by NC House Speaker/Republican US Senate Candidate, Thom Tillis. Together, Mayors John Woods, Jill Swain and Chuck Travis - along with Speaker Tillis - formed a bucket brigade to put out the flames.
aShortChronicle obtained several emails outlining how the North Mecklenburg Mayors took the lead in attempting to stem the revolt brewing among the towns' Commissioners. Even with their efforts, 9 of the 16 Commissioners ultimately signed a letter to Governor McCrory and NCDOT requesting a delay in signing the Commercial Close for the project - a request that was ultimately ignored.
As part of Mayor Woods's response to the special meeting request in Davidson, he indicated he would reach out to his fellow "regional mayors". These emails appear to be the result of that effort to squelch the "hoopla" caused by the "well organized anti-group" - Mayor Woods's words to describe those opposing tolls.
After a weekend of activity, Monday evening Mayor Travis from Cornelius sent the below message to the Mayors of Davidson, Huntersville, and Mooresville in response to a message from Huntersville Mayor Jill Swain.
Also, notice how Mayor Swain dumps this project squarely in Speaker/US Senate Candidate Thom Tillis's lap saying "this is their project, and by God, let them take ownership."
Well, apparently the Speaker did just that.
See the below email just a few hours later from Cornelius Mayor Travis. This is on a separate email thread that includes the Speaker (with everyone using their elected office email accounts this time).
While we should all be glad an additional review is going to take place, the legislature has had opportunities to force a real review - aka a VOTE - on specific toll road projects. That was in the form of HB 267 last year. Read these stories to get a refresher on how the Legislature avoided going on record - H267: George Orwell Comes to Raleigh AND H267: Redux - NC House really, really, really doesn't want to vote on tolling you. With Senator Tarte and other leaders still strong supporters of the project, it's hard to see any review at this point as anything but a bit of kabuki theater.
Then finally, Monday night there's this desperate plea from Mayor Woods to the Davidson Town Board. It's an obvious reference to the letter the nine area Commissioners were contemplating sending to the Governor and NCDOT. He is all but begging them not to sign it.
After once again smearing citizens who oppose HOT Lanes by calling them "naysayers", Mayor Woods attempts to sway Commissioners by alluding to possible participation in a "transit" project - for those here in North Meck that's an obvious reference to the Red Line Commuter Rail - a project that can best be described as "his baby". He makes this statement even though as Chair of the Red Line Task Force he knows that less than 48 hours later at the Wednesday Metropolitan Transit Commission meeting it would be announced Norfolk Southern has all but killed the Red Line project with its latest announcement that takes track sharing off the table. Why he decided to tie these two projects together is anyone's guess. When we reported on the rumored linkage here last year, there was definite push back against such insinuations. (In any event, Mayor Woods was off to Raleigh this week to see if he could save the Red Line.)
The irony of all this effort to stop a letter from nine Commissioners to the Governor and put out a sudden wildfire? The letter had already been sent a few hours earlier. It went out late Monday afternoon.
As the I77 HOT Lanes project moves forward, it's likely the "Bucket Brigade" (aka the North Mecklenburg Mayors and Speaker Tillis) will be called back into action.
We'll be watching.
Bonus Observation: The passing the buck on this issue continues. In this week's issue of The Lake Norman Citizen there is an article on HOT Lanes. (link not available) According to Huntersville Rep Charles Jeter, there's nothing, just nothing the General Assembly can do at this point. Of course, Rep Jeter also voted against giving the NCGA the authority to vote on specific toll projects back during the debate on H276. Read the H267 links for the details on that.
Rep Jeter repeatedly says this issue is now with the "executive branch" - meaning Governor McCrory and NCDOT.
The response back from the "executive branch" to the 9 Commissioners' letter? Crickets...nothing...nada.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
With candidate filing only one week away, the surprises start...
Candidate filing for our local municipal elections starts in one week and the first surprise rolled in this Wednesday. Cornelius Mayor Lynette Rinker sent out a press release saying she would not be entering the race for re-election. Here's the story from CorneliusNews.net.
Mayor Rinker's stated reason for not standing for reelection is that she has her eye on higher office and didn't want to leave Cornelius in the lurch by running for Mayor if she was planning on leaving...
“If I’m looking at other options, I just couldn’t tell the people of Cornelius that I’m committing for 2 more years when I may not be,” she said. “That is my personal decision and the way (husband) Mark and I are. I didn’t feel as if I could look people in the eye and ask for their votes, knowing I was leaving.” - from CorneliusNews.net
That's an honorable position, but a somewhat awkward one considering that it almost sounds like a swipe at former Cornelius Mayor and now State Senator, Jeff Tarte, who did just that during the last round of municipal elections elections in Cornelius. Ironically, his quest for higher office which started soon after winning reelection is what put Mayor Rinker in her current office.
However, one also has to wonder if there's more to this decision as mentioned in this piece over at the Huntersville Herald. The Herald reminds readers that Mayor Rinker has been a solid supporter of the I-77 HOT lanes project. She drew attention at the WidenI77.org event at Cornelius Town Hall back in January. (See video of that here: HOT Lane Opponents Pack Cornelius Town Hall (Video)) She also drew some ire after casting the tie-breaking vote throwing the Town's support behind the project. (See Cornelius Commissioner Blasts Town Decision to Support I-77 HOT Lanes for details on that story.)
Adding to this story line is an email received by aShortChronicle where Mayor Rinker strongly pushes back on WidenI77.org and its intention to publish a voter guide stating where candidates stand on the HOT issue. She obviously did not like the idea and made multiple intimidating references to "electioneering" in an attempt to get the citizens group to reveal any donors to their efforts.
One has to wonder if another reason for Mayor Rinker not defending her seat had something to do with the WidenI77.org group's efforts and that long, long list of petition signers they have been collecting.
Regardless, stepping into the breach is another HOT supporter, Cornelius Commissioner Chuck Travis. He immediately announced that he would be throwing his name into the Mayor's race. So, maybe the real surprise in Cornelius will be if anyone challenges Travis for the seat and who ends up in what are now two open seats on the town Board.
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