Current Status
Charlotte City Council passed the first post-sales-tax transit budget on April 13, 2026 — $20M+ for CATS including Red Line design-to-30%, Gateway Station, and a Blue Line safety study. The MPTA is preparing to assume operational control of CATS on July 1. CATS budget public hearing May 11; adoption vote June 18. The 27-member board, chaired by David L. Howard, is implementing the 2055 Transit System Plan — a $19.4 billion, 30-year investment in bus, rail, and microtransit.
Timeline
Apr 13, 2026
City Council Budget Vote: Charlotte City Council passes first post-sales-tax transit budget. $20M+ for CATS including Red Line design-to-30%, Gateway Station environmental review, Blue Line safety study. Council Member Hefner cites $20M+ total. CATS budget public hearing set for May 11; adoption vote June 18. Stellar Awards city contribution deferred pending Econ Dev Committee event funding policy.
Mar 11, 2026
Business Meeting: Code of Ethics and Conflict of Interest Policy adopted unanimously. All foundational governance documents now complete. Interim CEO Brent Kaggel reported South Station cost at ~$35M ($25M station + $10M track crossover). City Council approved $35M Red Line design contract to 30%. FTA grant application submitted for $30M. FTA audit draft responses under review. T. Anthony Lindsey raised community concern about “Red Line” name evoking “redlining.”
Mar 6, 2026
Strategy Session: No auto-captions generated; transcript pending.
Mar 4, 2026
Bylaws Ad Hoc Committee: Fourth committee session.
Feb 24, 2026
Bylaws Ad Hoc Committee: Third committee session.
Feb 20, 2026
Workshop #1: Full board orientation on the 2055 Transit System Plan. Presentations on Red Line ($1.26B, 2026 estimate), Silver Line MOS ($3.3B) and full project ($6.9B), Better Bus program, microtransit expansion. Financial overview: ~$165M annual tax revenue, $223M fund balance, $130M recommended reserve. PAVE Act value engineering underway. Budget timeline through July 1 transition. Staff directed to develop employment impact estimates for bus expansion.
Feb 17, 2026
Bylaws Ad Hoc Committee: Second committee session.
Feb 11, 2026
Business Meeting: Second regular business meeting.
Jan 30, 2026
Bylaws Ad Hoc Committee: First committee session. Bylaws development underway.
Jan 9, 2026
Business Meeting: First regular business meeting. Multi-jurisdiction board introduction.
Jan 7, 2026
Special Meeting: Early organizational session.
Dec 18, 2025
Inaugural Meeting: 27 trustees sworn in by Mayor Vi Lyles. David L. Howard elected chair by acclamation. Frank Emory elected vice chair. Christy Long elected secretary (14–13 over Reverend Corine Mack). Ned Curran elected treasurer. Robert’s Rules adopted. Parker Poe consultants presented feasibility study: asset transfer from CATS to MPTA “feasible and advisable,” but existing CATS debt cannot transfer.
Nov 2025
Referendum: Mecklenburg County voters approve half-cent transit sales tax under the PAVE Act. Margin: ~7,800 votes. Projected $19.4 billion impact over 30 years.
Key Players
David L. HowardMPTA Board Chair · City of Charlotte
Frank EmoryMPTA Vice Chair · City of Charlotte
Brent KaggelInterim CEO, CATS
Kelly GoforthChief Development Officer · PAVE Act lead
Chad HowChief Financial Officer
Danté AndersonCharlotte City Council · Gateway Station champion
Malcolm GrahamCharlotte City Council · Gateway Station
What’s Next
May 11, 2026 — CATS budget public hearing. First opportunity for public input on the transit spending plan.
June 18, 2026 — CATS budget adoption vote. Sets funding for first year of MPTA operational control.
July 1, 2026 — MPTA assumes operational control of CATS. Budget effective date. Historic governance transition.
FTA audit response — Federal Transit Administration has 30 days to accept or comment on CATS corrective action plan. May impose timelines affecting project eligibility.
Red Line naming decision — Board will be asked to weigh in on whether to rename the commuter rail service after community concerns about “redlining” connotation.
Background
The Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority (MPTA) is the most significant new government entity in Charlotte in decades. Created after Mecklenburg County voters narrowly approved a half-cent transit sales tax in November 2025, MPTA is responsible for implementing the 2055 Transit System Plan — a 30-year, $19.4 billion investment in bus, rail, and microtransit expansion across the county.
The authority’s 27-member board includes representatives from the City of Charlotte (14 seats), Mecklenburg County (6 seats), six surrounding towns (1 seat each), the NC General Assembly (2 seats), and the Governor (1 seat). This multi-jurisdictional structure reflects the regional scope of the transit system — and the political complexity of governing it.
Major projects under MPTA oversight include the Red Line commuter rail to Lake Norman ($1.26 billion), the Silver Line light rail extension ($3.3–$6.9 billion), Gateway Station multimodal hub ($89 million), a countywide bus network redesign, and microtransit expansion. The authority can now issue revenue bonds backed by transit tax revenue under the PAVE Act, expanding its financing options beyond the certificates of participation previously available to CATS.
The Charlotte Mercury covers MPTA from verified primary source transcripts. For the full board roster, meeting schedule, and FAQ, see the MPTA hub page.
Mercury Coverage
Charlotte City Council Passes First Post-Sales-Tax Transit Budget
Jack Beckett · April 14, 2026
What Happened to CATS? How Charlotte's Transit System Went From City Department to Regional Authority
Jack Beckett · March 28, 2026
Gateway Station Charlotte: Why the City's Transit Hub Has Been 25 Years in the Making
Jack Beckett · March 28, 2026
Charlotte's Red Line, Explained: The Commuter Rail That Took 25 Years to Start Building
Jack Beckett · March 28, 2026
What Is the MPTA? Charlotte's New Transit Authority, Explained
Jack Beckett · March 28, 2026
How Charlotte's Transit Tax Works: What You're Paying, Where It Goes, and Who Controls It
Jack Beckett · March 28, 2026
Gateway Station: Two Council Members Say Charlotte Has Waited Long Enough
Jack Beckett · March 23, 2026
Tracker update log: Created March 28, 2026. Last updated April 14, 2026 (City Council transit budget vote added, coverage links expanded, What's Next dates updated). Timeline covers November 2025 referendum through April 2026 budget vote.