Leader's death may not change TxDOT much

Gov. Perry, who picks commission members, says he still backs tollways

January 22, 2008

By PEGGY FIKAC, Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

AUSTIN — The death of Transportation Commission Chairman Ric Williamson, the feather-ruffling toll-road champion who left the agency with a sweeping vision and fences to mend with politicians and the public, may change the style of debate over Texas' transportation future.

But not its substance.

The five-member commission is appointed, and its new chairman will be named, by GOP Gov. Rick Perry, who has made clear his support for toll roads and state-private partnerships hasn't changed.

"In the days since his passing, there have been calls from some quarters to abandon the forward-thinking initiatives we championed to meet our state's current and future transportation needs. That would be a big mistake," Perry said in an opinion piece responding to a national commission's call for higher gas taxes and restrictions on states' toll contracts with private firms.

Commission member Ted Houghton of El Paso was blunt about Perry's effect.

"This is the governor's program. If we go in and try to scrap some piece of his program, I think we're going to have hell to pay with our boss, and that's the governor," Houghton said. "He was elected by the citizens, not us. We are an extension of what he believes."

Houghton and commissioners Hope Andrade of San Antonio and Ned Holmes of Houston said they support tollways and private investment as a key part of the state's transportation funding mix. Fred Underwood of Lubbock didn't respond to an interview request.

Economic realities

Despite some lawmakers' support for raising the gas tax, some commissioners suggested the needed increase would be so large as to be unduly difficult.

While praising Williamson's intellect and drive, commissioners said they want to communicate better with lawmakers after tempers flared last year and the Legislature sought to rein in privately funded toll roads with a moratorium. Williamson died Dec. 30 at age 55 of an apparent heart attack.

As officials work to pave over lingering hard feelings, the Texas Department of Transportation faces the scrutiny of a "sunset" review. Some lawmakers want the appointed commission to be replaced with an elected transportation commissioner.

Holmes said he wants a "working-together kind of atmosphere" with the Sunset Advisory Commission and lawmakers. Still, he said, "We really don't have many choices in how we fund our system, and if we think we can depend totally on the gas tax and the current format, it is woefully inadequate."

Holmes offered a long-term idea that could prove as controversial as privately funded toll roads: eventually taxing Texas motorists per mile driven as opposed to per gallon of gasoline.

Houghton said politics must be balanced against the economic reality, "and the reality of economics is ... we have hit a wall in the state of Texas" on funding growth.

Lawmakers, while giving Williamson respect, agree that transportation officials need to make changes.

"It is difficult, at least for this senator, to imagine TxDOT's credibility being any lower," said Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee vice chairman.

'I give him credit for that'

Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, Senate committee chairman, said TxDOT needs to listen. Most saw Williamson as focused "on one approach only, and that was the construction of toll roads through public-private partnerships."

Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, a Senate committee member, said, "I think he (Williamson) stepped way over the line on that (private-equity financing of toll roads). But having said that, I think he saw a problem. He was trying to find the best way to solve that. He came up with a solution. I give him credit for that. I give the governor credit for that."

The search for Williamson's replacement "is ongoing," said Black.