NC: More than 130 people want Charlotte seats on new transit group. Who are they?

Charlotte City Council is reviewing applications for the new countywide transportation board that could lead decisions on the region’s transportation system for years to come.

A number of high-profile names are in the mix, including a sitting city council member, a former Bank of America executive and the mayor’s personal publicist. More than 130 people applied across every council district.

The board of trustees would oversee the Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority proposed under the 1% transportation tax referendum on voters’ ballots this November. If the measure fails, the board will not be created.

The board would consist of 27 people. The city is responsible for appointing a dozen of those members: City Council chooses 7, the mayor chooses two, the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance chooses two and Foundation for the Carolinas chooses one.

Board members would serve on a volunteer basis, but state law does not prohibit them from setting compensation for themselves once appointed.

Here are highlights of who applied through the city of Charlotte.

Unsuccessful city council candidates shift attention to transit authority

A handful of City Council hopefuls who came up short this election cycle are under consideration for the transportation board.

Wil Russell, an affordable housing developer and member of the city’s planning commission, has tried to unseat District 4 Councilwoman Renee Perkins Johnson multiple times. Mayor Vi Lyles sparked controversy in 2023 when she endorsed Russell over Perkins Johnson, but her support wasn’t enough to secure Russell a win.

Montravias King ran for District 3 but suspended his campaign when he failed to secure the Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg endorsement. He threw his support behind incumbent Tiawana Brown, who lost.

Sary Chakra of District 6 was one of the youngest council candidates in the running this year at 33. He lost the Republican primary to Krista Bokhari, whose husband previously held the seat.

J.G. Lockhart and Emerson Stoldt received the fewest votes in a crowded pool of at-large candidates this year. They both applied, too. Lockhart was a vocal critic of the tax referendum and used his platform to advocate against the new authority. Stoldt, an architect, suspended his campaign shortly after filing due to conflict of interest concerns posed by his work in the private sector.

And two candidates who are still on the campaign trail also applied. Kimberly Owens, a Democrat, is running for City Council District 6 in what’s expected to be the closest contest of the general election. Rob Yates is the longshot Libertarian candidate for mayor.

Neither Owens nor Yates will be eligible if they win in November. The PAVE Act, which allowed Mecklenburg County to place the referendum before voters and outlined board requirements, prohibits sitting elected officials from serving on the board.

Interim City Attorney Anthony Fox said that limitation does not stand in the way of District 5 Councilwoman Marjorie Molina, the only current council member to apply. Some of her colleagues questioned the optics of her application and worried it could present a conflict of interest. But that isn’t the case because Molina won’t be in office when the authority takes effect, Fox said.

Her term ends Dec. 1 after losing reelection.

Still, her tenure overlaps with the council’s appointment deadline. Those decisions are due by Nov. 24. Molina told council she would recuse herself from the vote if she doesn’t withdraw her application first.

Former politicians, nonprofit leaders and developers apply for transit board

Charlotteans might recognize some other names on the applicant list.

Several former city council members are vying for seats on the board, including former Mayor Pro Tem and at-large Councilwoman Julie Eiselt; former District 1 Councilman Larken Egleston, who recently worked under Jeff Jackson in Congress; and former District 3 Councilman David Howard. Eiselt chose not to run for a fourth term. Howard left council for an unsuccessful mayoral bid after three terms, and Egleston left his seat for an unsuccessful at-large campaign.

Joel Ford, a Democrat elected to the state Senate from 2013-2019, also applied. He’s currently serving on the University of North Carolina Board of Governors.

Outside of elected office, big names include Tracy Dodson, the COO of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance and the city’s former assistant city manager. The Business Alliance is responsible for two board appointments.

LaToya Evans, a communications executive who heads public relations agency LEPR, is also on the list. Evans is a close friend to Lyles and has worked as her campaign and personal publicist for nearly a decade.

Among other applicants are longtime Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP President Corine Mack; Shannon Binns, the founder and executive director of nonprofit Sustain Charlotte; Amy Aussieker, executive director of Envision Charlotte; and Charles Bowman, the former North Carolina market president for Bank of America.

Notable developers who applied for the board include Tim Sittema, the managing partner of Crosland Southeast who is leading the Eastland Yards project, and Ken Szymanski, the former executive director of the Greater Charlotte Apartment Association.

How will Metropolitan Public Transit Authority board members be appointed?

City Council is reviewing applications this week. Each council member will select their top three candidates in each of nine categories: law, finance, engineering, public transportation, urban planning, logistics, government, architecture and economic development. Applications will be narrowed down to just 27 finalists, who will move on to interviews.

Council will conduct interviews from Oct. 27-31 and make their nominations for each category on Nov. 10. Council will vote on final appointments Nov. 24.

The Business Alliance, Foundation for the Carolinas and the mayor will make their board recommendations independently, choosing from the same list of applicants.

Board members will serve for four years, but the inaugural board will include some two-year appointments so terms are staggered.

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