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The Texas House recently held a hearing to address Harris County's transfer of billions of dollars from the toll road authority directly into county coffers with zero transparency. Taxpayers have been growing increasingly frustrated with this issue for years.
This is clear proof that the toll road system has become a cash cow for local Democrats. Terri Hall with Texans for Toll-Free Highways spoke to KTRH about this, saying, "The Harris County commissioners have allowed this to become their slush fund. That is not truth in taxation, and it does not allow toll payers to follow their dollar."
She argued that this is exactly why tolls should be taken down after a toll road has been completely paid off. She also pointed out that "It is a legislative priority of the Republican Party of Texas. We have a Republican majority in the legislature; they should have already passed this bill, and it’s sitting in committee."
She says HB 2323 by Rep. Matt Shaheen has already had a hearing before a House Committee but hasn’t been voted on yet. According to Hall, this bill would prevent any excess revenue from a toll road from being spent on anything other than paying off the debt for that road.
Hall says that’s an important stipulation because, without it, excess toll road money could be used to take out more loans for more roads, creating a never-ending cycle.
There has been some small progress however. State Senator Paul Bettencourt's SB-2722 has been passed out of the Texas Senate. This bill would require that any excess toll revenue is spent exclusively on road maintenance, and public safety services.
Bettencourt spoke about the bill in a press release saying, "If drivers are paying tolls, then drivers should see those funds reinvested into roads they actually use to help pay down the debt, prioritize county owned roads, and split 70/30 with the City of Houston to cover expenses.”