Taking a toll on Pricinct 2
Toll road issue overshadows race for precinct 2
2/25/2006
By: Allie Rasmus
News 8 Austin
Copyright 2006
We took a walk through one central Austin neighborhood and asked people about the race for Travis county precinct commissioner.
"I do not know what a precinct commissioner does at all," one resident said.
"I've just never heard of the --What is it? Precinct commissioner?" another told us.
Precinct 2 runs from north central Austin up to the Williamson County line.
But then we asked the same people what they knew about toll roads and they had a very different answer.
"Oh I know a little bit about that. I know there's a controversy about it," resident Tom Gohring said.
Precinct 2 goes from north central Austin up to the Williamson County line. It covers part of Northwest Austin, east of the 360 loop and extends Northeast to encompass the entire town of Pflugerville.
Toll roads and other transportation issues affect this area and they're key issues in this primary race.
Taking a toll on the race
News 8 Austin's Allie Rasmus shows how the bid for the next Travis County precinct two commissioner could come down to how people feel about toll roads.
"The average commuter if they want to take the toll the whole way is going to pay considerably more," Travis County precinct 2 candidate Sarah Eckhardt said.
"Everybody loves Austin, but if there's one ding on our reputation it's that the traffic is horrible," Incumbent Travis County precinct 2 commissioner Karen Sonleitner said.
Sonleitner's been the Precinct 2 Commissioner for 12 years. She's running for her fourth term, but she also wears another political hat.
She sits on the board of CAMPO, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
The entire group's come under political fire for approving a controversial toll road plan.
"We had a crummy choice. It was either accept toll roads as an option in our transportation mix to get the state highways in our area completed, or do nothing and wait 20 to 25 years for our highways to be completed. I chose action over inaction," Sonleitner said.
"I don't think the public was adequately included in the process," Eckhardt said.
Eckhardt is a former Travis county prosecutor and is also running for precinct commissioner.
She believes transportation is important too, and says the people she's talked to in the precinct are worried about it.
"The vast majority of people are shocked when they see what the phase two toll road plan is," Eckhardt said.
Eckhardt says she thinks the only Central Texas road that should have a toll is SH-130, because it is a brand new road that isn't already in use.
"I don't have any issue with that," Eckhardt said.
But Sonleitner says she didn't vote for toll roads as a Travis county commissioner but as a CAMPO board member, and that no commissioners are guaranteed a seat on CAMPO if they're elected.
She believes the fuss over tolls is overblown.
"When I go into the office everyday, the phone is not ringing off the hook with calls about toll roads," Sonleitner said.
She says during her last term she's stood with neighbors to stop construction of a race track and strip club in Pflugerville and voted to have the county purchase 3,300 acres of green space after voters approved a bond authorizing the purchase.
"That was one of those landmark purchases that 100 years from now people will say that was a good thing," Sonleitner said
But Eckhardt says there are other things that county leaders need to focus on.
"We've got a jail overcrowding problem that we haven't solved yet. We have a mental health crisis. Travis County has a hospital district, but it doesn't include mental health and it should," Eckhardt said.
Although the toll road debate is the most prominent in this campaign, both candidates say there are other issues facing Travis County.
But there's an old saying in politics that people vote their pocketbooks.
And if voters feel the toll road plan will break their budget, they might voice that concern at the ballot and blame the elected officials who voted for it.
There are no Republicans running for precinct 2 commissioner, so whichever candidate wins the primary, will likely win the seat, although there is a libertarian candidate on the ballot in November.
Copyright ©2006 TWEAN News Channel of Austin News 8 Austin www.news8austin.com
2/25/2006
By: Allie Rasmus
News 8 Austin
Copyright 2006
We took a walk through one central Austin neighborhood and asked people about the race for Travis county precinct commissioner.
"I do not know what a precinct commissioner does at all," one resident said.
"I've just never heard of the --What is it? Precinct commissioner?" another told us.
Precinct 2 runs from north central Austin up to the Williamson County line.
But then we asked the same people what they knew about toll roads and they had a very different answer.
"Oh I know a little bit about that. I know there's a controversy about it," resident Tom Gohring said.
Precinct 2 goes from north central Austin up to the Williamson County line. It covers part of Northwest Austin, east of the 360 loop and extends Northeast to encompass the entire town of Pflugerville.
Toll roads and other transportation issues affect this area and they're key issues in this primary race.
Taking a toll on the race
News 8 Austin's Allie Rasmus shows how the bid for the next Travis County precinct two commissioner could come down to how people feel about toll roads.
"The average commuter if they want to take the toll the whole way is going to pay considerably more," Travis County precinct 2 candidate Sarah Eckhardt said.
"Everybody loves Austin, but if there's one ding on our reputation it's that the traffic is horrible," Incumbent Travis County precinct 2 commissioner Karen Sonleitner said.
Sonleitner's been the Precinct 2 Commissioner for 12 years. She's running for her fourth term, but she also wears another political hat.
She sits on the board of CAMPO, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
The entire group's come under political fire for approving a controversial toll road plan.
"We had a crummy choice. It was either accept toll roads as an option in our transportation mix to get the state highways in our area completed, or do nothing and wait 20 to 25 years for our highways to be completed. I chose action over inaction," Sonleitner said.
"I don't think the public was adequately included in the process," Eckhardt said.
Eckhardt is a former Travis county prosecutor and is also running for precinct commissioner.
She believes transportation is important too, and says the people she's talked to in the precinct are worried about it.
"The vast majority of people are shocked when they see what the phase two toll road plan is," Eckhardt said.
Eckhardt says she thinks the only Central Texas road that should have a toll is SH-130, because it is a brand new road that isn't already in use.
"I don't have any issue with that," Eckhardt said.
But Sonleitner says she didn't vote for toll roads as a Travis county commissioner but as a CAMPO board member, and that no commissioners are guaranteed a seat on CAMPO if they're elected.
She believes the fuss over tolls is overblown.
"When I go into the office everyday, the phone is not ringing off the hook with calls about toll roads," Sonleitner said.
She says during her last term she's stood with neighbors to stop construction of a race track and strip club in Pflugerville and voted to have the county purchase 3,300 acres of green space after voters approved a bond authorizing the purchase.
"That was one of those landmark purchases that 100 years from now people will say that was a good thing," Sonleitner said
But Eckhardt says there are other things that county leaders need to focus on.
"We've got a jail overcrowding problem that we haven't solved yet. We have a mental health crisis. Travis County has a hospital district, but it doesn't include mental health and it should," Eckhardt said.
Although the toll road debate is the most prominent in this campaign, both candidates say there are other issues facing Travis County.
But there's an old saying in politics that people vote their pocketbooks.
And if voters feel the toll road plan will break their budget, they might voice that concern at the ballot and blame the elected officials who voted for it.
There are no Republicans running for precinct 2 commissioner, so whichever candidate wins the primary, will likely win the seat, although there is a libertarian candidate on the ballot in November.
Copyright ©2006 TWEAN News Channel of Austin News 8 Austin
posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Sunday, February 26, 2006
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