Two Charlotte City Council members — Malcolm Graham and Joi Mayo — have signaled they're ready to switch sides on the I-77 South toll lanes, eight days before the regional vote that decides the project. Both were part of the 6-5 majority that rejected it in May. What changed is the state's offer: up to $300 million in community investment and 17 rebuilt bridges, set against a design-cost penalty of roughly $70 million that Charlotte would owe if it votes the $4 billion project down. Graham, who chairs the budget committee, put it plainly: "We don't have 60 or 70 million dollars laying around. I am not willing to raise taxes to pay that fee." Meanwhile Charlotte's attorneys are preparing to argue the repayment clock should start in 2024, when the region actually voted to back the project — not 2018, when the state started spending. And the arithmetic nobody's saying out loud: Charlotte and Mecklenburg County together hold 34 of 74 weighted votes. Also: three CMS board members move to remove chair Stephanie Sneed, who says she's been targeted, bullied and harassed over her board service; gas hits $3.95 in Charlotte; and it's day one of Hispanic Heritage Month.

CLT Daily — Charlotte's independent daily briefing. New episodes every morning. cltdaily.com

Sources this episode: WFAE, WBTV, Axios Charlotte

CLT Daily is written, hosted and produced by Steve Bouboulis, an independent journalist covering the Queen City. Got a tip, a document, or a story the city isn't telling? Reach him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebouboulis/

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