Chairman J. Bruce Bugg, Jr.
Texas Department of Transportation
125 East 11TH Street
Austin, Texas 78701-2483
August 20, 2024
Commissioner Bugg:
As Republican nominees for the Texas House, we are extremely concerned by the action the Texas Transportation Commission took recently to spend over $1.7 billion ($1,700,000,000) of public money to seize control of a toll road (State Highway 288) with absolutely no commitment to end the tolls.
The Republican Party of Texas’s 2024 Platform states, “We call on the Texas Legislature to abolish existing toll roads.”
We recognize that in many instances the state cannot abolish existing toll roads without the use of public money, but your decision to do so without a clear commitment to end the tolls is the worst of all worlds for taxpayers and amounts to nothing less than double taxation.
Furthermore, it is our understanding that the state may secure purchase of this existing, fully operational road by issuing nearly $2 billion in new debt, which will assuredly be repaid by the tolls you are refusing to remove. The key diUerence is that at the end of the current agreement with the private operator, the tolls come oU. With this new arrangement, no such end date exists. Again, the worst of all worlds.
Regardless, the Department’s stated position to maintain the tolls on this road even after this large expenditure of public resources sets an alarming precedent. Upon oUicially taking the oUice of State Representative, we are committed to passing legislation that protects the interests of taxpayers from similar abuses. The actions by TxDOT are out-of-step with the Republican Party of Texas’s Platform and we are committed to changing that as soon as practicable.
Sincerely,
Shelley Luther
Republican Nominee, HD 62
Mike Olcott
Republican Nominee, HD 60
Trey Wharton
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Wes Virdell
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Katrina Pierson
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David Lowe
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AJ Louderback
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Andy Hopper
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Helen Kerwin
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Brent money
Republican Nominee, HD 2