Carrboro Board of Alderman member Diana McDuffee said Chapel Hill Town Council members did not seek input from the board or the University before reaching their decision.
"We're concerned about (the lack of) unilateral decisions," she said.
Because the Chapel Hill Transit Authority is jointly funded by Chapel Hill, Carrboro and UNC, a joint decision-making process exists which requires input from all three parties before reaching a decision.
But council member Flicka Bateman expressed regret for the council's failure to seek input from aldermen before making the final decision on transit advertising.
"I think it was an oversight and not an attempt, by any means, to exclude them," she said. "I think it's important to include partners."
The decision marks the third time in six years council members have voted against allowing such advertisements.
McDuffee said board members and UNC officials must be a part of any decisions regarding the transit authority.
She cited the implementation of fare-free busing as an example of previous collaborative decisions made by Chapel Hill, Carrboro and UNC officials.
"In the end, getting fare-free busing happened with all three partners involved," McDuffee said.