CHARLOTTE — July 1 — the date the Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority is scheduled to assume operational control of Charlotte's existing transit system — is less than seven weeks away. On Wednesday, the board addressed two pieces of work the authority needs in place before that deadline arrives: a permanent chief executive, and the legal agreement still being negotiated to govern the handoff itself.

Gregg A. Moser, a partner at Krauthamer & Associates, the executive search firm the board retained, outlined a three-phase process at Wednesday's meeting. Phase 1 — stakeholder conversations and candidate profile development — runs through early June. Phase 2 opens national recruitment. Phase 3 brings finalists to the board for interviews and a recommendation.

Moser said he would conduct one-on-one conversations with all trustees as part of building the candidate profile.

Chair David L. Howard, a former Charlotte mayor, confirmed that Brent Cagle — who has served as Interim CEO of CATS through the transition period — has been informed he may apply and will be treated as a full candidate for the permanent position.

Howard put it this way:

"If all of this $30 billion winds up going to people in other cities, and we have left trains and buildings, we did something wrong," he said.

The ILA Clock

The board spent the bulk of Wednesday's meeting on two related pressures: the CEO search and the Primary Interlocal Agreement being negotiated between MPTA and the City of Charlotte. The ILA is the legal document that will govern how city transit assets, employees, and operational responsibilities formally transfer to the new regional authority.

Trustee comments on the draft ILA are due to legal counsel at Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson by Friday, May 15. T. Anthony Lindsey, who represents the Town of Huntersville on the board, pressed for a process that would let all trustees review each other's comments before they reach the city.

"There's no benefit in us sending something back to the city that this body doesn't fully agree with," he said.

Lindsey moved that all comments be shared with the full board before submission. He withdrew the motion after staff confirmed the compiled trustee comments would be circulated before going to the city.

Microtransit, Governance, Approvals

In his executive report, Cagle flagged one data point. Microtransit ridership — the on-demand service operating across the Charlotte region — grew 318 percent from March 2025 to March 2026. For March 2026 alone, the system logged just under 7,000 customers.

Trustee-Treasurer Edward "Ned" Curran offered his frame for the work ahead.

"It's not just about moving people around," he said. "It's about moving them up."

The board also approved three foundational governance documents unanimously: the MPTA Financial Policy, the MPTA Procurement Policy, and a resolution authorizing participation in the NC Capital Management Trust — a pooled investment vehicle for idle funds requiring two authorized signatories, the finance officer and the chair.

A formal vote on MPTA's transition into CARPO, the regional Metropolitan Planning Organization through which federal transportation dollars are allocated, is expected at the next board meeting.

The authority carries roughly $490 million in combined annual sales tax revenue and a multi-decade pipeline of rail and bus projects. The CEO search is running alongside a board still finalizing the foundational agreements that will define what the authority actually controls when July 1 arrives.

ILA comments are due Friday.