Bexar County Commissioner: "We've never wanted to toll the roads."
Role of toll road authority under fire
Elizabeth Allen, Staff Writer
San Antonio Express-News
Copyright 2005
At the same time the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority is carefully rebuilding its relationship with the state, Bexar County Commissioner Lyle Larson has put its future funding up to a vote.
Larson, angry about the state's look at a private bidder to build North Side toll road projects after encouraging the county to set up the local entity, has been trying to line up votes to delete part of the RMA's funding at today's commissioners court meeting.
"I'm really not a proponent of creating layers of government when they're not needed," Larson said. "We've never wanted to toll the roads."
Initially, he said, "a couple" of other commissioners said they agreed with him, but by Friday they had started moving away from that position.
The other three commissioners said they were undecided, but all said they felt it was important to maintain a voice in the toll road development issue.
County Judge Nelson Wolff takes some credit for maintaining that view.
"I'm having a few people work a few people," Wolff said. "Now's not the time to cut and run."
Wolff said the RMA, though less involved than local officials originally envisioned, can still have a say in the process of building a 22-mile toll road system on Loop 1604 and U.S. 281 that he sees as inevitable.
Though Larson said a county staff member could handle the RMA's duties, Wolff said he disagrees.
If the RMA stays intact and involved, he said, it could reap part of the toll revenues and keep them invested in local roadways, and it could possibly own the toll system at the end of the process.
Commissioners have funded the RMA with $750,000 in loans, with another $500,000 coming from the city. If the county cuts off the RMA, it would be tough to operate beyond a year, said RMA board member Jim Reed.
More importantly, he said, it would be seen as a vote of no-confidence by the county at a time when the RMA is working up a memorandum of agreement with the state that would outline its role in setting up an agreement with the private developer — Spain-based Cintra and locally owned Zachry American Infrastructure.
eallen@express-news.net
San Antonio Express-News: www.mysanantonio.com
Elizabeth Allen, Staff Writer
San Antonio Express-News
Copyright 2005
At the same time the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority is carefully rebuilding its relationship with the state, Bexar County Commissioner Lyle Larson has put its future funding up to a vote.
Larson, angry about the state's look at a private bidder to build North Side toll road projects after encouraging the county to set up the local entity, has been trying to line up votes to delete part of the RMA's funding at today's commissioners court meeting.
"I'm really not a proponent of creating layers of government when they're not needed," Larson said. "We've never wanted to toll the roads."
Initially, he said, "a couple" of other commissioners said they agreed with him, but by Friday they had started moving away from that position.
The other three commissioners said they were undecided, but all said they felt it was important to maintain a voice in the toll road development issue.
County Judge Nelson Wolff takes some credit for maintaining that view.
"I'm having a few people work a few people," Wolff said. "Now's not the time to cut and run."
Wolff said the RMA, though less involved than local officials originally envisioned, can still have a say in the process of building a 22-mile toll road system on Loop 1604 and U.S. 281 that he sees as inevitable.
Though Larson said a county staff member could handle the RMA's duties, Wolff said he disagrees.
If the RMA stays intact and involved, he said, it could reap part of the toll revenues and keep them invested in local roadways, and it could possibly own the toll system at the end of the process.
Commissioners have funded the RMA with $750,000 in loans, with another $500,000 coming from the city. If the county cuts off the RMA, it would be tough to operate beyond a year, said RMA board member Jim Reed.
More importantly, he said, it would be seen as a vote of no-confidence by the county at a time when the RMA is working up a memorandum of agreement with the state that would outline its role in setting up an agreement with the private developer — Spain-based Cintra and locally owned Zachry American Infrastructure.
eallen@express-news.net
San Antonio Express-News:
posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Tuesday, August 16, 2005
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