Transportation
BY LIZZY SPANGLER CONTRIBUTIONS BY MELISSA ENAJE
Under Senate Bill 2722—authored by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston—excess Harris County Toll Road Authority revenue would be distributed to commissioner precincts based on the percentage of roads they maintain. Precinct 3 oversees 47% of unincorporated county roads, Commissioner Tom Ramsey said, while Precincts 1 and 2 each oversee 15%. Precinct 4 oversees 23% of unincorporated county roads. “I’m being severely underfunded,” Ramsey said during testimony to the Senate Transportation Committee on April 9. Bill targets toll road funds Breaking down the bill Under SB 2722, HCTRA toll road revenue would be required to go toward operating, expanding, maintaining, or administering a toll project or system; or to retire debt related to a toll project or system. Of the revenues that remain after paying the costs of the above: 70% goes to Harris County for road maintenance
On the other hand
Funding breakdown For Harris County’s fiscal year 2024-25, each precinct received the following amount from the county’s mobility fund:
While the HCTRA is responsible for operating and maintaining the safety, reliability and sus- tainability throughout Harris County’s toll roads, the county’s jurisdiction does not include feeder roads, county officials said. Harris County’s mobility fund utilizes its surplus HCTRA revenue to fund eligible transportation projects across all four county precincts. Precinct officials’ project oversight must fall under the umbrella of the Texas Transportation Code that includes costs related to the design, construction, maintenance, repair or operation of roads, streets, highways or other related facilities, according to county budget documents. The bill also would require independent audits to ensure toll revenue funding is allocated properly—a notion HCTRA Executive Director Roberto Trevino said already takes place through independent audits.
$79.8M
Precinct 1 Precinct 3 Precinct 2 Precinct 4
$39.9M $72.1M $68.6M
SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET/ COMMUNITY IMPACT
“There has been a lot of information shared by various agencies about the validity of this pro- posed legislation. This includes interpretations of HCTRA’s financials as well as its law enforcement and incident response services on the toll roads. Those testimonies do not reflect a true picture of HCTRA’s critical role in providing mobility options for the growing region,” Trevino said in a statement.
Before you go
Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones spoke out against the bill during Commissioners Court on April 10. As of press time, SB 2722 passed the Senate on April 29 and had been sent to the House, according to Texas Legislature Online. A companion bill, House Bill 5177, was left pending in committee as of press time.
During testimony before the Senate’s transportation committee on April 9, Houston Fire Chief Thomas Munoz and Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz testified in support of SB 2722. Christine Lee, the director of legislative affairs for Precinct 2, testified against the bill on behalf of Commissioner Adrian Garcia. Other officials who testified against the bill include Trevino and Adam Haynes, the policy director at the Conference of Urban Counties.
30% goes to Houston for reimbursement of toll road- related emergency services
95% of the funds must be allocated to commissioner precincts based on the percentage of roads owned and maintained 5% can be allocated to other county departments or projects
SOURCE: TEXAS LEGISLATURE ONLINE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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