Contrasting how Charlotte and other NC communities spend tourism tax dollars and what it means for the future projects

WFAE | By Gabe Altieri

Published April 8, 2024 at 1:39 PM EDT

The Charlotte City Council is considering to help pay for a renovation of Bank of America Stadium.

North Carolina communities have differing opinions on how they can spend tourism tax dollars.

In Charlotte, city leaders have earmarked those funds for large projects like upgrading sports facilities and, ultimately unsuccessfully, bringing a major tennis tournament to the Queen City.

City leaders claim a state law forces them to spend the funds on these projects. Some believe that money could be spent elsewhere. For example, housing, greenways and transportation infrastructure.

That’s similar to how Asheville has used some of the tourism taxes it collects. Officials there argue funding infrastructure impacts tourism.

We’ll examine the different approaches Charlotte and Asheville are taking. Plus, we explore how any potential changes to the state law would impact communities across North Carolina.

GUESTS:

Tony Mecia, editor at the Charlotte Ledger

Felicia Sonmez, growth and development reporter at Blue Ridge Public Radio