Commentary
By Bill Peterson
Buda leaders are trying to assemble a large contingent to this morning's meeting of the Hays County Commissioners Court, figuring the county needs to act quickly if it’s going to bring in state money for local roads.
In an email to Buda Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC) members, Warren Ketteman of Buda's Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is asking for Budists to hit the public comments portion of commissioners court with requests for the roads.
On May 12, Hays County voters turned down a proposal whereby the county would front $172 million for improvements to state roads, with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) reimbursing up to $133 million over 20 years. Only 47.63 percent of county voters accepted the project as heavy opposing turnout in the Wimberley area outnumbered light supportive turnout along IH-35.
Ketteman said in his email that TxDOT now has given the county 30 days to determine if it wishes to relinquish its claim to the money.
What kind of arrangement could possibly be worked out within 30 days? The original bond included four projects – FM 1626, Loop 110, SH 21 and RR 12. There's a thought out there that a new bond proposal subtracting RR 12 would pass, since Wimberley folks didn't like the expanded road going into their town. But that sounds like a stretch. Even without RR 12 in the package, Wimberley voters still would face a tax increase, which they would surely reject. And there isn't time to run another election before TxDOT's deadline, anyway.
Since the voters in the areas of FM 1626 and Loop 110 favored the bond, perhaps they would be willing to make some kind of sacrifice for the roads they want. Again, though, how do the administrative chips fall into place within 30 days? Can the county borrow enough money for those roads without borrowing so much that it would have to call an election?
All that's for sure is that $133 million in state money is on the table for roads in Hays County. And it's going away quickly, unless the county comes up with something creative and commissioners from the west understand the need for roads in the east.
