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Council staff recommend repeal of town taxi-cab ordinance, citing rideshare regulation at state level
Summary
Staff recommended repealing the town’s taxi-cab chapter because rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft now dominate the local market and are regulated at the state level; council members asked clarifying questions about whether any local taxi companies remain and how the repeal affects taxis established outside town limits.
Town staff told the council on Oct. 1 that they recommend repealing the town’s taxi-cab chapter from the code of ordinances after consultation with the police department.
Staff said the change responds to market realities and state-level regulation: rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft have largely supplanted independent taxis in the area and those services are regulated at the state level, limiting the town's ability to regulate them. A staff speaker summarized the recommendation: “it would not be regulated but mainly because Uber and Lyft have really just taken over this area and that's regulated at the state level and the town cannot regulate those particular rideshare services.”
Several commissioners asked whether any taxis still operate in town. Commissioners noted they sometimes see taxis near major regional hubs but said they had not observed a local company operating regularly within Mooresville. Staff clarified the town's taxi regulations, as written, apply only to taxi companies that establish and operate in Mooresville; companies based outside town remain subject to their home jurisdiction's rules.
The item appeared on the consent agenda for consideration. No formal vote is recorded in the Oct. 1 transcript excerpt provided; staff said they would proceed with the consent-item process unless council members requested otherwise.
Staff indicated the recommendation followed input from the police department, which raised concerns about liability and the administrative burden of enforcing a declining taxi market. Council members thanked staff for tracking grant and procurement activity and asked for ongoing communication with constituents who call about parade and event logistics and other service questions.
