Statesville became the latest Lake Norman-area municipality to back the I-77 South toll lanes project Monday, Aug. 10, voting 7-1 to instruct its Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization representative to support the project rather than face a $1.6 million state penalty.

The vote puts Statesville alongside Huntersville, Cornelius and Monroe among towns that have reversed their opposition ahead of the CRTPO's Wednesday, Sept. 23 decision on whether to formally reinstate the project. Davidson remains the only Lake Norman town that has not reversed its position, according to the most recent available reporting.

Statesville council members said the vote was not an endorsement of toll lanes. It was about money. The city's $1.6 million share comes from a $60 million repayment that NCDOT says municipalities owe for planning and design costs already spent on the project.

The repayment threat stems from a state budget provision, submitted by Republican state Rep. Vickie Sawyer, that requires any CRTPO member municipality that voted to rescind support for the I-77 South project to pay back its share or face additional consequences, including delays to other state-funded road projects.

Cornelius reversed its opposition in a 3-0 vote on June 15. Mayor Denis Bilodeau told WCNC on Aug. 6 that the town's potential $3 million to $3.5 million penalty left little choice for a municipality with a $40 million total budget.

"We're in favor because we're trying to avoid a very, very, very steep penalty," Bilodeau said. "We're not in favor of the tolls."

As we reported Aug. 7, Cornelius commissioner Michael Osborne, the town's CRTPO representative, confirmed that vote at the planning organization's July 16 meeting.

Huntersville has also reversed its opposition, according to QCNews reporting, though the specific date and vote count of that reversal have not been confirmed.

Not all regional leaders agree the repayment demand is legitimate. Mecklenburg County Commission Vice Chair Leigh Altman argued Aug. 7 that the budget provision may be unconstitutional, calling it a potential bill of attainder that targets Mecklenburg County and questioning whether the $60 million figure is accurate.

The CRTPO board voted in May to rescind support for the I-77 South project. Municipalities now face an Oct. 5 deadline to change their votes or risk the penalty. The CRTPO's next scheduled vote is Wednesday, Sept. 23. Statesville's council meets again Wednesday, Aug. 19.