http://66.225.205.104/JR20110214a.mp3
A scheduled city council vote on taxi service at the Charlotte Airport has been delayed. City Manager Curt Walton informed council members today he's pulling the vote from their agenda in order to address concerns. Charlotte Airport officials had planned to ask the city council tonight for approval to give a lucrative taxi cab contract to a company owned by convicted felons.
The two men served time in federal prison for scheming to purchase fake driver's licenses. On Friday, Mayor Anthony Foxx promised to veto any vote the council took on the issue tonight. City Manager Curt Walton has now pulled the vote from the council's agenda, opting instead for a discussion meant to clear up concerns about the airport taxi contracts.
Airport officials want to limit the number of cab companies that have access. Mayor Foxx says he "will also be asking for more frequent updates from the airport on some of these activities so that we are ensured as a council we have the appropriate level of oversight given some of the issues that have come up this year."
Security at the Charlotte Airport is currently under investigation for a November incident where a teenager appears to have climbed into the wheel well of a plane before plunging to his death in Massachusetts. Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano called the incident a security "breakdown." Charlotte Airport Director Jerry Orr says he's cooperating with investigators but has offered little explanation to allay concerns about the rigor of airport security.