Who owns harris county toll road

The corporation model gives Commissioners Court more direct control over the toll road system. The five court members will comprise the original corporation board, until they appoint their successors. Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said diverting some toll revenues would be an effective way to boost flood control spending. It also could be used as matching funds to state or federal appropriations on ambitious capital projects like deepening the Houston Ship Channel.

Both Republican commissioners voted against the proposal. The terms of the LGC arrangement, however, do not attach a specific purpose for the funds that will be shifted from the toll road system to the county, and the funds can be used for anything the court votes to approve. Commissioner Jack Cagle R-Pct. When Cagle asked if Berry was aware of any plans or desire to engage the public before moving forward, Berry replied that there were none.

Berry suggested the urgency is related to historically low interest rates, but the Federal Reserve this week indicated rates will remain low for several years.

Other options analyzed by Berry included refinancing the bonds at the lower rates, but without selling the toll system to a newly created LGC. Commissioner Adrian Garcia D-Pct.

Democrat candidate for Precinct 3 Commissioner Michael Moore did not respond to request for comment by the time of publication and has not publicly commented on the LGC arrangement, but has campaigned on a promise to push for alternative transit as well as infrastructure improvements. Toll roads, including the HCTRA, have often been advertised to voters as self-sustaining projects that eventually can lead to toll price reductions, or, as in the case of the Texas Turnpike, becoming a toll-free highway once initial costs are covered.

Last year the court also voted to abandon formulas that allocated road funds by mileage in favor of dividing METRO funds equally among the four county precincts. Citigroup and Siebert recommended that the county keep the toll road system under its control, but study ways to better leverage its finances for other future expansion. The toll road system is one of the most successful in the country, the county management services report notes. Most Popular.

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